Faas became AP's chief photographer for Southeast Asia in 1962, based in Saigon until 1970 and then regularly returning until the withdrawal of American forces in 1973. The present collection represents the majority of his tenure there. The earliest image, dated 1963, shows Vietnamese regular troops and civil defense guardsmen, some still barefoot, preparing to board a U.S. helicopter en route to the Mekong Delta. Other photos from the war’s early years include a spare image of a table-less plaza that once housed the most famous and bustling sidewalk cafe in Saigon until it became a popular target for grenades. The photographs from the mid-1960s document the war’s escalation, with dramatic scenes of soldiers engaged in battle, including one poignant shot of U.S. infantrymen in Phu Loi using an ancient Vietnamese tomb as cover. Scenes of the war’s waning years include a photograph from 1972 showing a lone South Vietnamese soldier walking the empty road of an abandoned U.S. logistical command camp at Cam Ranh Bay, and a sensitive portrait of 3 older North Vietnamese citizens, all of whom have clearly endured years of horror and suffering. There are also a few photos of the conflict in Laos, including child soldiers posed with rifles, fortified bunkers at the Kalong outpost in Laos, a view of the Pakse airbase, and refugees north of Luang Prabang, and one photo of Cambodia.

Horst Faas (1933-2012) was born in Germany in 1933 and joined the AP in 1956. He is best remembered for his war photography in places such as Bangladesh, Congo, Algiers and Vietnam.