Military Picture Of The Week

A tip of the beret to Mad Padre's Man In Madrid for putting me on to this treasure trove of photos from the Vietnam War. The story of the photographer, Charlie Haughey, and how he had to wait 45 years to confront the work he did as a young soldier in Vietnam, is worth telling in itself. This photo captures the terrible vulnerability of soldiers at war, and the posture of the soldier hints at the axiom that there are no atheists in combat. Haughey describes this photo: "It was not uncommon to find anyone with a head bowed for a moment, more often when we were heading out than when we were coming back. Interesting that he has a flak jacket, he's taking precautions on both sides of the fence. M16, a steel pot, a flak jacket, and a prayer."