Jump to content

Catherine Leroy


Recommended Posts

Thanks for the note and sympathies to her friends and family. With all the discussion on

equipment, techniques, and such stuff, it's easy to forget about content and message, and

the simple truths photographs capture, even with all their inherent deficiencies of technology

(camera and film). Sometimes it's not about having the best seat in stadium, it's about being

at the ballpark paying attention to the game.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I didn't know about Catherine Leroy. I'm glad you pointed her out even though she is gone now. Posthumous recognition is sad. On the site you gave, the series of 3 with the corpsman applying bandage, listening for heartbeat, and then anguish really tear me up. They wouldn't work as well standalone since you can't see clearly the wounded soldier to understand what's going on. But as a series they kick your ass. I admire that she was able to get behind the lines of both sides of the war. I've never seen shots from both sides in anyone else's portfolio before. Rest In Peace Catherine Leroy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

She was very brave and very lucky in Vietnam. She survived bullets whizzing by her head during the fight for Hill 881 South, where she took the famous photos of the Corpsman trying to help revive the fatally wounded Marine. When she first got off the chopper near Hill 881S, she had a white scarf on her head and the Marines were yelling at her to take it off because the NVA were zeroing in on it. She later said that she wondered what all the "zzzhhhtt" sounds were buzzing by her head. She was also in Hue during the Tet Offensive of 1968 and had many close calls including capture and release by the NVA. Most Marines liked her as they did Dickey Chapelle, another well-known and talented woman photographer. Chapelle stepped on a booby-trap on patrol with the Marines and died. Both were tough and could hold their own with the battle-hardened Marines. A few years ago I saw a great article (can't remember where) where Leroy went and photographed the Corpsman 30 some years after the battle for Hill 881S to see how he was holding up. As often happens in reality, the Corpsman was not holding up well and ended up dying shortly after she photographed him.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...