Without us there would be no war story

Most people who watch wars from the sidelines admire the soldiers that fight for them, though few would ever consider joining the cause them self. We are the forgotten warriors. We make the images of foreign conflicts massively available to the public. We are never congratulated for our efforts, though we are the ones who rally the citizens to support the cause that so many are fighting, and dying for. We are war photographers. We endure the same harsh conditions that the rest of the nation's soldiers do, though at the same time, we must take life-changing pictures that can make a difference in the overall war effort. Their primary concern is to kill the enemy. Ours is also to shoot people, but in a vastly different way. We cannot worry about our own safety, for being overly safe does not yield pictures that can change public consciousness. We are as much a part of our camera as the rest of the men are a part of their guns. We are useless without it, and it is the only reason that we are here, encountering so much unending death and suffering. Some of our time in Vietnam is spent
relaxing in peace, though far more of the time is spent being scared and tired. The wilderness that we have become used to trudging through has become a new home for us. Thoughts of our old lives are almost forgotten, and the idea of comfort seems so far off that it no longer exists. But we push on. We know that we must continue in our search for

powerful images, as a way
to attempt to end the war on both fronts; the home front, as well as the battle front.
Most of the photographers that you encounter are not as dismal and dreary as many of the soldiers that you may see on the battlefield. They are encountering many of the same horrors, though it seems as though the photographers can often remain far more optimistic than the rest. This is because we are aware of our effect on the war. While one solider may be searching for a reason to stay in this war, we can change the direction of an entire war with a single image.
Just as it is important to tell any story with powerful images, even my own must contain its share of photographic representation of who we are. But like most of our photography, what happens here is often full of misery. At times, even people who are in positions such as ours are vulnerable to the enemy. It seems odd that people in the media would be targeted by our Vietcong enemies, though tactics such as that are often common in Guerrilla warfare. This whole war seems both pointless and endless, but for the sake of those who died in the pursuit of freedom, we must press on. In the end, web attempt to remain as hopeful as possible, that this war may end soon, and hopefully that we had a part in doing so. One may think it to be rather easy to photograph war, but in reality, it is far harder than killing a man. To kill in a war is simply an impulse, and it is what you are being told to do in order to survive. Taking a photograph on the other hand, is highly mechanical, and far from a primitive instinct. Every part of your mind is telling you to get out of there, to grove up, drop your camera, and leave. Instead, your heart makes you push on, in pursuit of the perfect photograph, to end the most flawed war. We have learned to rely on each other, because there is no one else watch our back. We keep each other informed on the wars events, as well as what we have encountered. We have a bond unlike any other in the war, due to the unique goal that all photographers in Vietnam are attempting to achieve. Our ultimate goal is to capture the perfect image, return it to America, and attempt to rally public support. We are some of the most important people in this war, because without us, there would be no war story.

-Adrian Cortez
(Just one of many war photographers)