The story of an Argentinian journalist missing in Saigon
One of the talented reporters of the Argentine press, Ignacio Ezcurra, the journalist, has been mysteriously missing in the South in 1968. The information about his life and work has recently been revealed by his photo exhibition. Ignacio Ezcurra in Ho Chi Minh City in early July 2019.
In his work, Ignacio Ezcurra describes the bravery of the liberation army, whom he faced even sleeping in their basements on the battlefield.
Find the truth
The Vietnam War took place, but international press information was published in the United States and many Latin American countries were distorted and distorted. With a hunch of a great journalist, Ignacio Ezcurra wants to come to Vietnam to seek the truth. In 1968, when the Mau Than campaign broke out, the world and the media were more interested in the developments in Vietnam. But this is also the time when the war is extremely fierce, very dangerous.
Ignacio Ezcurra was born in 1939 in San Isidro. In 1960, he received a scholarship from the Inter-American Press Association (SIP) for journalism training at the University of Missouri (Columbia). In 1961, he returned to his home country and was sent by the Ministry of Culture and the Di Tella Institute to more than 60 cities to introduce audiovisual facilities and documentaries. In 1962, he started working at La Nación newspaper. In 1967, he came to the United States to explore racial conflicts, interviewed Senator Robert Kennedy and Pastor, Martin Luther King African-American civil rights activist.
In 1968, "Ignacio confided to his mother:" I want to go to Vietnam, I want to see what is going on, because something is not right with what they are saying, I want to go there and bring the truth ... " . (Quote of the article: Chronicles under the fire; The story of Ignacio Ezcurra journalist "by journalist Hugo Montero, Sudestada magazine No. 53, October 2006).
At that time, the journalist was married for 3 years and had two young children, Encarnacion Ezcurra and Juan Ignacio. “Some people try to convince Ignacio to change his mind, but he doesn't agree. The Vietnam War attracted him; he read, investigated and prepared for a trip ”(Sudestada Magazine recounted).
Writing between the Mau Than campaign
Having set foot in Tan Son Nhat airport, Ignacio Ezcurra tasted the taste of war when the Mau Than campaign continued from Tet until the summer. There was a gunshot, the young reporter of the Sangha was immediately present. He even heard the melee AK gun in the inner city and described it in hot launches to Latin America.
“High smoke black pillars were flooded on the road near the southern area of Cholon, while submachine gunfire and artillery shells still rang. The scene is terrible. The trucks and jeeps carrying soldiers came, overtaken by cars with a red cross full of wounded people - Ignacio Ezcurra described in the reportage - Estimates of more than 1,000 civilian casualties ... " .
In the article: "The fierce struggle that took place yesterday in Saigon" by Ignacio published in La Nación on May 8, 1968, he described the war in the middle of Saigon: "The helicopters spread the draft everywhere, shoot bullets and missiles. The liberation army fought back fiercely. After a warning of loudspeakers, US military aircraft dropped napalm. Hundreds of houses in the neighborhoods beside the river and the airport disappeared, leaving the corpses of warriors, civilians and animals
Usually, war reporters specialize in news, or specialize in photography. Ignacio does both. He has just reported, capturing very natural pictures of the lives of Saigon people. They really didn't panic, but they certainly hated war. When the gun sounds quiet, people start their daily activities. Impressed by him were the young faces in the canals and behind the fences.
Work in Hue
Saigon and Hue are the two fiercest battlefields in the Mau Than campaign. Ignacio is present in both cities. He went to Hue and described that both the United States and liberation troops used heavy weapons, the battle was extremely fierce. The photo of this reporter captures the building No. 11 Le Loi Street, Hue is just a bullet shot like a shot shot.
Ignacio arrived at the Perfume River and captured the collapsed Truong Tien Bridge. Hue girls in long dresses try to climb ferries and boats to travel between the two banks. Sampan people cannot leave the river but still live around the broken bridge in half. In one photo, Ignacio sat by the collapsed Truong Tien Bridge, a very wistful face, wavering with sadness as the cultural heritage was being destroyed by the war.
Pentax camera of Argentinian journalist recorded images of temples in Hue, peaceful life and ruined buildings because of bombs. War not only took away human life but also took away cultural works. Ignacio's photos and articles have become classics of the world press and are taught in Latin American journalism schools until today.
Set foot on Truong Son trail
The Truong Son Trail is a place that usually only detective commandos can penetrate, even US soldiers are rarely accessible. Perhaps this has inspired Ignacio even more. He wants to witness the legendary path. Ignacio described: "When I was in Saigon, soldier David Castanella asked me:" Don't go, little friend. It was suicide. From there they returned the corpses. However, Argentine journalist is determined to go to Truong Son street.
Opportunity, also a terrible challenge has come to reporters. In April 1968, the United States opened the Delaware operation to re-occupy the A Sau outpost and bombed 1,000 tons of bombs, from B52 to the Truong Son road area. “I came to the valley in a helicopter of the 9th cavalry division, it was the most tactical weapon of the US military in Vietnam. A Sau is the valley near the Vietnam-Laos border of A Luoi, Thua Thien Hue "- the father of two young children reported on the newspaper.
“The night falls with a long, endless sleep in a small cellar built by the North Vietnamese. Mortars and cannons of the five bases in the valley continually bombarded roads where the enemy could move. And twice the mountain trembled to the point where it seemed that the bunker wanted to break into pieces. B-52 bombers spray 500 kg bombs down to 2-3 km away from us ... ”.
In order to be able to be on Truong Son Ignacio, a team of US soldiers followed the liberation area. He described: "The soldier named Steve Amold exclaimed:" I don't want to go. That place is full of guerrillas. ” At exactly 7 am, 70 people with M-16 guns M-60 intermittent guns, grenade launchers, bazookas and terror, marched on the trail made by North Vietnam ... Terrified. I am not ashamed to admit this - Lui Gregore exclaimed in a heavy voice of South Americans.
Welcome March 26th founding union!
Go on the Truong Son trail, for the American soldier is a disaster. "In order to avoid being the first choice target of the enemy, officers and non-commissioned officers have jerked their jaws and those who carry the radio are trying to hide the antenna."
“About a kilometer away, we heard the bullets ringing and from a boogie with a dry explosion of AK-47 guns. About 100 meters away, a heavy machine gun mounted on the mountain in front began to fire toward us. ”
The Truong Son trail was protected by the invincible liberating forces, forcing American soldiers to call for reinforcements: "A radio call was made, a few minutes later, two helicopters appeared. promoted with 4,000 rounds per minute submachine gun. The enemy's machine gun responded mercilessly. "Get the plane right away." Only 15 minutes later, we saw 3 jets coming to devastate the mountain half with 250-pound bombs ... The jets flew away, the valley returned to silence. " (Excerpt from the article "A day in the Vietnam War through the eyes of Ignacio - Newspaper Le Nación on May 7, 2018).
Ignacio's photographs of the Truong Son trail in 1968 made it possible for viewers to see the roads quite spacious, but the trees were bombed. The American soldiers walked on the path alone and fearfully, and they sat down to eat canned food to go. The enemy opened fire from many sides.
In a very lively picture of his, Ignacio captured a poster hanging on a tree trunk on Truong Son Street with bold Vietnamese words: "Welcome to the formation of the 26/3 union!".
Missing mystery
A tragedy came to Ignacio: he returned safely from Truong Son Street but was mysteriously missing in Saigon on May 8, 1968.
People found everything: journalist cards, typewriters, cameras ... but never saw Argentine reporter Ignacio. What happened to Ignacio when the typewriter still had the unfinished manuscript of the article written on May 8, 1968? What pulled him out of the typewriter and made him missing for 51 years? So far, no one has answered these questions.
In early July 2019, Ignacio's journalist family gave back to the Vietnamese people the camera that people sent from Vietnam to the family after the journalist went missing. His niece, now a reporter, came to Vietnam to take pictures of the places he used to work. Perhaps, they still have a very fragile hope about Ignacio's journalism in Vietnam, as their expectations for half a century have passed.