Today in Focus Who really took one of history’s most famous pictures?
Mar 9, 2026
David Burnett, a conflict photographer who covered the Vietnam War, shares vivid first-hand memories of the Trang Bang napalm attack. He recounts arriving at the scene, witnessing fleeing civilians, and the chaotic aftermath in the AP Saigon office. Short, gripping recollections explore memory, authorship controversy, and the challenges of crediting local reporters in war zones.
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How One Photo Launched Nick Ut's Career
- Nick Ut's Napalm Girl photo propelled his career, winning a Pulitzer and World Press Photo awards within days of publication.
- The image of nine-year-old Kim Phuc running naked after napalm became an instant global symbol of Vietnam War suffering and made Nick internationally famous.
David Burnett's Eyewitness Account At Trang Bang
- David Burnett recalls standing where Nick Ut stood and running down the road as civilians fled after napalm was dropped on Trang Bang.
- Burnett says he, Nick and Alex Shemkin were almost the first press to chase the fleeing civilians and saw Kim Phuc run naked toward them.
Stringer Says He Sold The Photo For $20
- Carl Robinson later told investigators he was instructed by AP boss Horst Fass to change the photo credit from a stringer to Nick Ut.
- That claim led Gary Knight to track down the alleged stringer, Nguyen Tan Nha, who said he sold the photo to AP for $20 and a print.