On june 8, 1972, the Associated Press photographer snapped a prizewinning image of who wasrold kim fook severely injured in a friendly fire napalm attack by self vietnamese jeff. The napalm girl is not a goodwill ambassador and helped with a memoir. Up next, Mark Boughton and a jazz composer who performs parts of a musical response to the image, joined her on the National Constitution center stage to discuss the legacy of the war in an event titled girl in the picture memory vietnam. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the National Constitution center. For a gathered today meaningful and important event. Composer has been to a crucialute event in our national history. Was the young girl in vietnam in 1972 who was pictured running down the street after a napalm attack. That photograph so transfixed the world and help lead to the end of the vietnam war. On to ahas gone distinguished career, advocating for children who are the victims of war and in recognition of her extraordinary achievements, she was honored earlier this year with the dresden peace prize, one of the most important in the world. [applause] when hannibal wrote to me and said that he wanted to present a preview of his performance at the Constitution Center, my immediate answer was yes. Ago,se hannibal, a year wrote and said he had been moved to introduce a similar piece that he had written in honor of victims of the Alabama Church bombings, and we had those victims here at the Constitution Center and hannibal played part of his extraordinary piece crucifixion, resurrection, nine souls traveling, honoring the nine people murdered in the Charleston Church shootings and that was one of the most meaningful and important events we had at the Constitution Center. Hannibal will present the World Premiere of his tribute to dr. Fook. As well as the tribute performance of the children of fire, which was the piece that he wrote immediately when he was impressed and moved to do so when he saw the picture of her, and that will be tomorrow night at the philadelphia visible p. M. , andat 6 30 please join if you can. This morning, we are going. Preview of the piece and then were going to hear from dr. Fook and we are so honored to have mark bowden, one of americas most distinguished journalist who has written pathbreaking book about vietnam and for the terrible conflict in context. Hes also the author of black hawk down. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming our panelist. [applause] it has been my, great honor to invite you to inspire our audience with a selection from your piece. With us, we have the great anthony. I guess you could call it a piano. [laughter] and the voice of love, philadelphias own karen slack. [applause] i will play better for you tomorrow night. [laughter] zig is a beautiful struggle, it never ends, much like life, it never ends. Hannibal, it was completely extraordinary, and we felt in the music, the pain. Tell us why you decided to write the piece and what you felt when you saw the photo, what were you trying to convey in the music . I have first hoped that it was just a movie or something. Day and was during the of course, they dont show bodies naked during the day. Seat andod up from my i saw this human being, this baby running for life. I was a strange thing because i saw you running. Because itrdinary was like a dance, you are doing a dance. Your arms are limey of Judy Jamieson breakdancing. Your arms like this and your hair, your hair was moving. There was a section in the piece where this young girl sings about how Beautiful Life sings about how Beautiful Life is to even in the middle of all of that pain, i saw this beauty that was elevated, and it was obviously that you were being crucified, but at the same time you were being did. I was being resurrected. It took me a year to get over so i could get to notes, toatics of the the soul of the notes, and i finally did. Believe me, i was great i was relieved when i put the last note on the piece. I felt what you felt. I felt what you felt. That is how powerful it was. Sufferingoung girl like that, you know . Coming to understand what it is. Life, i will still be learning from what you gave me and i wanted to give what you gave me to the world. So i wrote a piece that part notes]ises those are the bombs falling. And what are the words . What is she singing . Hannibal what is this rain that falls from the sky, this rain that burns me until i die will this firen end angels to send descend souls a sinr end . His fire that has no still inhe fire is aleppo. The fire does not end. The fire does not in. How it destroys, destroys us. Much. Lmost too when i put the last note on the taper, i asked the creator to make sure you could hear it and i never thought to ask if i would be there to see it, but that is how the creator were. The creator is all knowing and powerful. [applause] it is an extraordinary honor the creator has sent you here to give us this work and we are so honored to have you here and to tell your story. Take us back to that terrible day in 1972, when you were a runningneyearold girl down the street. What happened . What did you feel . What did you feel afterward . Dr. Phuc thank you. I would like to say thank you to all of you being here. Hank you listen to you, listen to the music, i dont know how to say alive, toankful to be enjoy with all that happened in now, i have tod go back to tell you what happened at that time. My image at that time, june 8, 1972. We had been so, so peaceful and nothing happened. Who know about the vietnam war, that the vietnam war happened far away from my place. Everything. So in june, the enemies came to occupy my village. As soon as my mom opened the came. She knew the war we are in danger, right . Protect her family, to hide, to move out of the house and eventually we went to hide in the temple. We thought, that is a holy place. It would be safe. Wartime,now, in the nowhere is safe. We are hiding in the temple for villagers with the and south the emmys soldiers. They were there to protect us. As children, we just allowed to and those three days. The first two days, they dropped different kind of bomb, but then in the third day, in the morning, they started to drop the napalm. We didnt know the napalm, the name at that time. Suddenly, the south vietnamese soldiers, they color mark was dropped inside the temple area. Dedicated they temple was going to be bombed. For the started children and they started to run because the children always run faster than the others. I remember myself in the front of the temple and i saw fast, and i was so thought it would be so loud. I had no idea. I just stood right there and i thethe airplanes, and i saw ding and i heard the noise and suddenly, fire everywhere around me. , as soon as the bomb touched my clothes, my body, it just burned off my clothes, and suddenly i saw the arm, and ier my left thatmy right hand ent, i remember my thought oh, my goodness, i got burned and i will be ugly and people will see me a different way. But i was so terrified, so , i ran out of the fire. I saw my brothers and the south vietnamese soldiers, and we kept running and running and running until i felt too tired to run anymore. I saw many people right there on out, toond i cried hot, too hot and i remember one of the soldiers give me water to drink and he tried to help me. He poured the water over me, over my body. Just lostt, i consciousness. I could not remember anything else that happened. The you mentioned about reigning, yes, at lunchtime, it was raining. It was raining. When we get out, the roads were still wet, very wet. Yes. How it goesazing together, the moment. You said, you are not going to make me cry. [laughter] hannibal, do you have a phuc aboutor dr. What happened . Menibal the creator showed everything. Always does. Last night, when you talked about you were playing, there is a section in the piece, too, where the young girl things. Because i saw you playing. I saw you playing, too. We have much more to talk about what happened jeffrey with much more to talk about what happened next. 1968,den, your book, 1968 was a turning point in the war, but this photo was so galvanizing it contributed to the end of the war. Can you put it in context of those other battles . Photos become iconic because they visually capture very complicated stories sometimes. On an emotional level. Amlonow, that photograph emblemized the war. Re wask that the accommodation of ignorance and arrogance. The ideal was a generation of Young Americans were eager to communism,pread of as they saw this authoritarian menace spreading around the world. And with good intentions, many Young Americans volunteered or went to vietnam to fight. Book i wrote was it washe battle of hue, apparent the war was not winnable. And it was apparent not just to critical journalists or soldiers on the ground. It was apparent to the highest levels of the government. The president himself realized the fight was not winnable. Did not want to be saddled with what was gone to decided not to seek reelection. The war should have ended, but Richard Nixon was elected, promising to end the war, which was a very popular promise. And this is why the photograph is so tremendously iconic. In an not shell the strategy of inflict asame to much pain on the vietnamese people, ostensibly on the enemy, but the enemy was embedded in the population. , whichapon like napalm is an indiscriminate killer theres no other way to describe it. Its gasoline mixed with aluminum soap. You drop it and it spreads everywhere. It kills indiscriminately. The image of the nineyearold girl, running, terribly burned from the bombing of 10 the bombing of a village you put napalm on a village for only one reason. To destroy everything and everyone in that village. That act, which ought to be a emblemizedi think the approach the United States was taking to the war in vietnam. Meeting image had deep deep meaning and helped change attitudes in the country toward the war. Do you think it is possible to win a war . I never heard of a war that was with our ownealing personal demons, our own personal thing. I have never gotten a sense that a war was ever one or two as possible to win a war. Mark i do think wars can be won. In the winning they create bigger problems than the one they try to end. But certainly ending the nazi regime in world war ii was a very morally useful goal. Ending slavery in the united a moral crusade, a war worth fighting. Likebal but i do not feel the civil war has ended. Not. No, of course slavery ended. Of systematic oppression africanamericans and other minorities in this country continues today and thats a big struggle for our country, before we were even a nation and we are continuing to fight that battle. Yes, some wars cant be one. It wasthis case, i think apparent to everyone involved and i spent a lot of time talking to vietnamese soldiers, south vietnamese soldiers, and very, very few of them at this point look act on it and say, yes, we could have won this war. Its a terrible tragedy. If the goal was to inflict pain, ways we can only begin to imagine. Jeffrey hannibal, your pieces and you also talk about the resurrection hannibal yeah. Jeffrey yes, you do. This will be followed by first breath, last sigh. The first part is dedicated to kevin, who was gunned down in the streets of baltimore. Tell us about the relationship s story and the story of kevin at you tell in sigh, and the resurrection and the crucifixion. Hannibal less night, it was so powerful, i was thinking about your words, what you said, when in the morgue and your mother walked until she found you. What i learned was the creator gave your mother the power to a morgue, in a tomb, with a big rock covering it, because the beast said you were dead. But god said you were alive. Sleep from what you talked us from what you taught us. That analogy was so clear. You were crucified and you were resurrect did. That thing does not apply to only 2000 years ago. Its every day of our lives. Thats what i came to understand in the morgue. Its not what the beast says. The beast does not have the final word. The beast does not have the last word. The beast says, look, man, you cant play at this temple. You dont know the song. You dont know the song of life. You cant say what this baby is going to say. And, man, that baby. Tell us about the resurrection. What happened next . You met a wonderful man, you got lifeed, you devoted your to helping kids who were the victims of war. Tell us about what happened. Dr. Phuc thats right. What i have to tell you, as a little girl, i did not understand why that happened to me, but now i look back and say, wow. And he said to that little girl, im not finished with you yet. People put you in the morgue, but that saves your life. There. Dy was they were expecting to take my body back from earlier. They found me in the morgue. They transferred me to the burn clinic and i was there for 14 months. And i went to 16 operations. In that it is a long time to be in the hospital. , in spite ofome all the circumstances. I was the only want to get burned and survived. I lost my two cousins. One at three years old and one at nine months. My aunt got burned a little bit on her leg and her arm. Thats it. For me, it just really is the beginning of my life. Everythingost almost. Inad a dream, because i was the hospital for a long time. I thought, when im growing up i want to be a doctor so i can help people just like me. Then 10 years later, i studied very hard to catch up with my friends and i got into medicine in 1882. I was so happy. But unfortunately at that time, the same time, the vietnamese government, they found me, i was famouse girl in the picture yeah, she is still alive . News. Story became hot and there were so many journalists from Different Countries came to vietnam and they wanted to interview me. Then they interfered with my school. At the beginning i was so happy, times ie were so many could not go to school freely. Eventually, they cut short my study. That was a very low point in my life. Really want to go to school to fulfill my dream. All kinds of controlling i could not do anything to fulfill my dream. It filled me up with hatred, anger, it are nests bitterness, at that time when i was 19. I had so many questions for myself. Why me . Why didnt i die when i was nine . Better,d it was much it seemed to me. Why did i have to suffer now and not only physical, but mentally and emotionally and what can i wrong at did i do what i did wrong . All kinds of questions. Why and why. I ended up with the idea that i wanted to end my life because i thought, after i die, i dont have to suffer that much. I wass raised really resolved and that religion to do good and i just hope that the good things come into my life, but i did not receive anything good but suffering. That thereng, i knew was someone controlling me and i could not go to school. I couldnt go on with that way anymore. And there isck something in me. It is seeking the truth. Seeking the purpose. Used my daytime. I dig into the library. It is like i am searching the purpose for my life and i pulled out all of the religious books , and among the books i had read was the new testament. The more i read, the more questions i had. I did not understand why jesus say like that. Raised in a totally different religion. No onement can come to the father but through me. I said, wow. I was really confused. But back to the beginning. Process i was just december 1982 when i heard the news about christmas. And it was going, right . It is so wonderful. So the baby jesus came and he died on the cross to pay for our sentence. And if anyone opens their heart to receive jesus christ as their personal savior, then jesus will and brings hearts. Eace and take away the burden when i heard that message deep , i felt peacert and i really needed somebody came to my life to take away my burdens. And my heart really touched and thats why that moment, i just and go in the front of the church and i just opened my heart to accept jesus christ as my personal savior. That is a transformation. And that faith has helped me a lot from that moment in christmas 1982. Me. Just amazing for i started to pray through jesus christ and the more i pray, the more piece i have. The more i pray, i feel like, wow. I pray for wisdom. I pray for peace. I pray for forgiveness. Everything has come through my life. After i became christian not only just the religion, but i have the between me and god in jesus and that is a relationship that has helped to me, it heals me. Its everything. Not about religion, but it is a relationship. I need this. I really needed to have peace and it doesnt matter what people say. People controlling me. People say something. Dont care i cant control what they are doing. What they are saying, their opinions. Respond control how i and it helps me to move on from that point to this point. And i learned a lot. That is how i survived. [applause] jeffrey an extraordinary story and that transformation has helped you become one of the most important advocates for children around the world. What i want to understand, was it about this photograph in particular . There were three iconic photos from vietnam we all know. Picture. S settingure of the monk himself on fire in protest. And that terrible picture of the execution of the vietnamese prisoner. It was this one that really turned the tide. What was it, and how specifically did this capture the imagination of american policymakers in ways that lead to the end of the war . Mark no matter what your political persuasion or ideas of went, a nineyearold child is not the enemy. Ay battle that burns terribly nineyearold child is failing on some level. I documented this in the battle the burning ofke your village, the remaining notle in hue who were communists and were not necessarily supportive of the south vietnamese regime. They were trying to survive. Northernof hue, the part of the city is a fortress. There are some 400,000 people who have limited entrances and exits and it became impossible to flee this battle. They get on one side and the vietcong would occupy the city, who began to execute people who they labeled as supporters or collaborators with the south vietnamese regime. Then they had the south vietnamese life army and marines eventually dropping of lm inside the city walls. People dug bunkers and many died. When you are ostensibly fighting for a cause and that cause is indiscriminately killing civilians, at some point everyone steps back and says, this is wrong. That image of a nineyearold struck by napalm, which is the definition of an killer, and i hadk the Public Opinion begun to turn against the war. I was in college. I remember the marches. Millions were turning out to march against the war. I do think images are extraordinarily powerful and it captures the horror of the moment. And also the reality of the moment. Hannibal it makes me think of that image of him it till, which had the exact same impact of till, which had the exact same impact to rid a young bouygues disfigured by hatred and violence. Same impact. A young boy disfigured by hatred and violence. He took a picture of him in his coffin because she said she wanted the world to see what they had done to her child. The great poet explained to dr. King why the mo nks were setting themselves on fire. After that was when dr. King made his statement against the war. He had been contemplating making his statement against the war. Loseew that that would access to johnson. But when he explained the sacrifice, thats when he made the statement and of course, that is when he lost his 20 47 24 7 contact with the present. Mark that was tremendously influential and talk about the american support for the war tourney against vietnam. Was one of his most elegant speeches he ever gave and he gave very many elegant speeches. I think it had her tremendous influence. Hannibal i miss him. I think about him all the time. Offrey hannibal, so much your art is about crucifixion. Nd resurrection the Alabama Church bombings, those kids in the streets of baltimore, your latest work, that incredibly powerful chorus that you performed with the philadelphia orchestra last year pow w, pow, being gunneds down. Do you choose your subjects with photographs are some other way, and what do you view as the relationship between the crucifixion and the resurrection . It or not, iieve wish the creator would give me a break. [laughter] you know . Some of my greatest moments of joy are with my wife and my grandchildren. But when you see something thats not right, as a human being, youve got to sweep on it. We are obligated as human beings to make sure all humans are well and whole. , if ourr we do occupation is riding or sweeping the streets, we have an obligation. Im a human being. I will use my tool to address that. Hopefully it will prevent others going to that. We are obligated to each other. We will never understand that earth as it is in heaven. In heaven. You are in heaven. I just follow orders and sometimes, when i know they are i have to face my monsters. I have to face my own. I have to face my own. You have to fight that. You have to fight all of that and still do. The scars are on you physically, but the deeper ones are in your soul, and my right . Am i right . Play thinking about how to hillbilly with bravado so i mother. Ay it for my . Hat are you doing i dislocated my collarbone, scratched my face, my lip was leading, everything. But i did not mind. I figured it out. That was my mothers christmas present. So, i forgot the beating [applause] jeffrey dr. Phuc [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2019] , as you havephuc inspired kids, symptoms you have showed them the photograph. How do you minister to these kids to help them overcome their pain . I am so thankful at being alive and having the opportunity to contact with multiple children who are suffering, just like me. No future. Takes care of them. So, when i met them, i relate with them, with the pain, physical and emotional, and it seems like they have no hope. Say,e them my picture and. Es, i was that little girl i was burned. I had no hope. I lost my loved one. Its just like you, part of you. Abide and i have hope. Becausee todd loves you god loves me and he gives me to be aliveunities and learn a lot and now i have andcapacity to travel here see, but int you to the future you have to look like me now. Present and the if you keep believe hope. Dont give up never. You have to let god help you. And when we go together we will have a really successful life. I have no idea who can help me. Can see my heart is healed. Thing. A great changing. See the life even if it is one girl, one boy. My life is meaningful. , wow, you survive and you suffer, not just nothing. Dedicated to peace or happy children. And that can make a difference. And that is my purpose. When you are talking about the pain, i will give you an example. It was really hard for me to get into the burn unit in uganda. That kind of burn will bring me back in my childhood, 14 months in the hospital, in the burn unit. I do not want to relive that again. Its so painful. Ut i praise god maybe someone needs my help. I met the lady. That sheurned so badly did not want to live anymore. Even the nurse was there. And i showed the scars and i am talking with her and i prayed with her. It seemed like she would not respond to anything. And then i know the time. 10 minutes. Then i pray with her. The nurse would come with me and said, wow. Thanks for sharing your life. Just 10 minutes, after talking with her, she is smiling and eating and drinking and that is a whole world. So thankful for that. I met so many people ,ll who went to the war including the leader of the band i had in high school. He went and he was never the same when he came back and i met someone who went to that war who was the same and i felt dad i could not help. But i realized i felt bad i could not help. But i realized the only person who could not help someone was a person who offended. So hopefully you will get to meet with some veterans and healed them. Hell heal them. Therey you met with one of airmen responsible for the bombing and offered your forgiveness . Dr. Phuc yes. I believe in forgiving sins since i was christian. Changed. Has been its not the pilot who chopped the bomb, but he was coordinating the airstrike. Was so thankful in 1996 and heer asked, do you forgive me . Do you forgive me . I am so thankful and i am so thankful and that moment i was able to say, yes, i do. Me i willo never forget the words that he look with my eyes so you can see the sorrow that i carried for 24 years. Other and we praise each other and to we cried. And i said, yes. We can be friends and at that the police came and they separated us. And i said, ok. I would like to see you later. ,fter that, we met each other three hours later. We met in the hotel. Wow. Just the momentum. I will never forget it. His point ofut view and mine, and both of us have the same feeling. I love mylt like brother and sister for a long. Ime it was amazing at that moment. Him, butdid i forgive we would still be keeping in touch and be best friends. We love each other. We pray for each other. Its so beautiful that we come together. We forgive. And its really a release for both of us. Its really a reconciliation. And i am so thankful. And i amed my heart ready for that. And even today, i come to pray for the pilot who dropped the bomb every single day of my life. A long time ago 47 years already, that happened and , it day, so if he died cannot say anything, but if he is still alive, deep down in my day, it is my dream i want to see him. I want to give him a hug and i will tell him that that little girl, she loves you. She forgives you. In person. Not with any kind of social media, nothing. I understand how hard, how difficult for the pilot who did and that picture is the dropped the bomb. That will be so hard for him. That is just my dream, from that little girl. Jeffrey we have a revolution in the city of philadelphia which has been a resolution in the city of philadelphia which is been written in your honor. Theill be presented at performance tomorrow and we will hear that resolution and then perhaps, hannibal and his colleagues will be moved to play , to send use music into this blessed afternoon. Who will read the resolution . On behalf of the city of philadelphia, we would like to recognize the externa contributions of peace activist dr. Kim phuc. Dr. Phuc thank you. The council of the city of buddha for is pleased to honor the life and contributions of phuc, after having the most tragic moment of her life documented and circulated around the globe. Only survive, not but thrive and forgive those most responsible for her suffering. We have seen many struggles and her life, she took all of the strife that light handed her and used her wellknown image and platform to promote peace and give back in every way she could. The Kim Foundation was created in her name to create programs for children in wartorn regions of the world. Seventh, he cymer december 7, there was a performance at the church. This was after the televised image of her story. Was moved to address the address this throughout his music. To honorhia is moved dr. Kim phuc. Her image will echo through history as a warning of the damage of war and conflict on civilian populations. City ofe, the philadelphia recognizes and celebrates the life and extraordinary contributions of peace activist dr. Kim phuc. [applause] dr. Phuc thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Hannibal pretty neat. Hannibal, over to you. [applause] jeffrey see you tomorrow night. 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