Robert Haeberle

This photo is one in a series of heartbreaking photos by Robert Haeberle from Vietnam in 1969.  Similar to the photo of the man in the electric chair by William M. Vander Weyde, the subject matter of this photo is what drew me in the most.  The caption  of this photo is "People about to be shot" and knowing what is actually happening in the photo adds a whole new dimension to it.  The anguished and distraught expression on the woman's face clearly shows that something horrible has happened or is going to happen.  Going further into the photo past the main subject, the horrified expression on the little girl's face is absolutely heart breaking.  Following both the woman's and the little girl's eyes, the viewer can tell that they're both looking at the same thing, which in this case is probably the soldier that is going to put them to death.  Furthermore, the little boy being held by his mother is looking at their attacker as well, yet he is calm because he is too young to even understand what is going on.  It is sickening to think that these innocent people were killed and not only adults, but small children.  This image also made me question what kind of situation Robert Haeberle was in to be able to capture this photo.  Was he a part of the group that killed these people? Did he witness them actually being killed?  Similar to Vander Weyde's photo, the moment captured here is haunting and seizes the anguish and devastation that occurred during the Vietnam War.