Dickey Chapelle was one of the world’s most fearless conflict journalists and the 1st woman photojournalist to die in the line of duty covering a war in Vietnam.
By the time of her death she had worked on numerous assignments in conflict zones around the world. She died aged 41 years. She was a pioneer in war coverage. She was selected to cover Vietnam War due to her huge experience from previous assignments.
The late Fidel Castro of Cuba recognized her courage and referred to her as “the polite little American with all that tiger blood in her veins.”
She was the very first correspondent accredited by the Algerian rebels. When she entered Vietnam, she dived off and jumped into the war zone accompanying the United States paratroopers.
Dickney Chapelle was considered to be one of the bravest women journalists that the world had ever seen. She ventured into areas which other reporters dared not to go and she insisted that she would report what she would see with her own eyes.
Chapelle was not only a photographer but also a great writer. For instance, by the end of the Second World War, she had completed nine (9) books.
She worked with relief agencies as a volunteer photographer. When she was covering the Hungarian revolution, she was held captive as a prisoner for one month. She was never discouraged, after her release she hopped from one conflict zone to the next. She was never held back by danger.
While she was doing all these great acts, there were very few women in the newsrooms around the world.
When Dickney Chapelle died, there were no women covering the divisive Vietnamese war. That is how important she was.
She left behind great memories with the men she served alongside in Saigon (a city in Vietnam later renamed Ho Chi Minh). This is currently the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of 13 million people as at 2017. In fact, the United States Marines gave her full military honors for her being brave. She was made an honorary marine after her death.
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