Catherine Leroy

[kumimonster]

one of my fave photographers died on Saturday at the age of 60. i have a collection of books that feature her work as well as others. Mostly with her coverage of Vietnam (she was only 21 when she arrived). A year after getting to Vietnam, she was the only journalist to combat jump. She was also captured by the NVA during the Tet Offensive but talked her way out. She also was able to photograph the NVA in action and got the cover of Life.

She also worked in Northern Ireland, Cypruss, Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, and Libya.


Corpsman Vernon Wike, 2/3rd Marine, applies first aid to a wounded Marine. Battle for Hill 881. 1967


Corpsman Vernon Wike, 2/3rd Marine, tries to detect a heartbeat amidst the deafening noise of the battle. Battle for Hill 881. 1967


Corpsman Vernon Wike, 2/3rd Marine, looks in anguish when he realizes that his buddy is dead. Battle for Hill 881. 196

i have one of her books: "Under Fire: Images from Vietnam"
Published just last year (30th anniversary of the fall of saigon)
it also features my other favorite photographers like Larry Burrows, Henri Huet, and Don McCullin...
and the writings of David Halberstam, Philip Caputo, Neil Sheehan, and Tim O’Brien.

Comments

[spikyme.livejournal.com]

I just read about Corpsman Vernon Wike. He killed himself not too long ago. Some sort of deep depression. Have you seen the most recent photo of him?

[kumimonster.livejournal.com]

nope havent.
you gonna post it?

[spikyme.livejournal.com]

I don't have it handy. It was in an issue of American PHOTO.
He was all beardy and tattooed up. The only thing still familiar about him was his eyes.

[moonbird.livejournal.com]

Oh... I've loved her stuff since I discovered it when I was in Jr. High.
Wow. I'm so sorry to hear she's passed.

--J

[ms-ariel.livejournal.com]

RIP Ms Leroy.

Not sure if you've ever read One Crowded Hour which is about Neil Davis, an Australian combat shooter who spent most of his career in Asia inc the Vietnam War. Written after his death as a series of letters home interspersed with his story its a really powerful book about conflict and how people deal with covering it. As well as being entertaining for the tales of an Aussie expat! Ironically he was killed by a stray bullet in a mini uprising on the streets of Bangkok in the 80s so you do spend most of the book dreading getting to the end as you know what's coming. One of those people that would have made it onto my "be interesting to have a beer with them sometime" list.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0002174960/102-5838498-0876
166?v=glance&n=283155

My uncle died in NAM in 69'

[aoecean-glyvxx.livejournal.com]

I find those photographs very touching. My uncle died in Nam in 69', 1rst Infantry Army 1rst Division operating out of Monterey. R.I.P Gary Allan Correy.

Its weird that the Iraq war isn't causing as much of a cultural revolution as Nam did. Its like living in the idealistic 50s' again, but without the "heart" that people had back then.

[missfuzzybunny.livejournal.com]

Wow, those are so powerful. Sorry to hear of her death.

-
Completely unrelated: I emailed you with something sort of urgent. Please let me know if you don't get it. I don't have Yahoo installed.

Beautiful works

[shadow27.livejournal.com]

It's so strange. The way the captions describe the deafening noise but the world the photos depict are so still and silent.

Thanks for posting that

[orangecat62.livejournal.com]

She is also one of my favorites!.. and those photos are the most haunting.

Thanks.

RIP Catherine!

[tonykorleone.livejournal.com]

Why did I know u had that book ;) Here is a pic of Wike last year... suffered a stroke.

[tonykorleone.livejournal.com]

also: http://www.pieceuniquegallery.com/leroy/cl_gallery.html

[wrayb.livejournal.com]

thanks for posting the link and the scan of Wike.

wray

[renegade6.livejournal.com]

Looks like a good book.