Reporter Chu Chi Thanh and his photograph of the largest prisoner exchange in wartime history.

The photograph "Two Soldiers" was taken in 1973. In the photo, two soldiers on opposite sides of the battle lines, one a North Vietnamese soldier and the other a South Vietnamese Marine, are pictured with their arms around each other's shoulders.

Photographer Chu Chi Thanh, a former war correspondent for the Vietnam News Agency, has many memorable photographs on the subject of war, but he has a particular affinity for images that promote peace . After the 1973 Paris Agreement, correspondent Chu Chi Thanh was assigned by the Vietnam News Agency to work in Quang Tri with the task of photographing the prisoner exchange at the Thach Han River – the largest prisoner exchange in the history of the Vietnam War. The photograph of the two soldiers was taken in that context. This photograph was later considered a "prediction" that the day of peace was not far off.

The photo series "Two Soldiers," consisting of four images: "Handshake and Joy," "Two Soldiers," "Quang Tri Bridge," and "Farewell Hands," not only expresses the aspiration for peace but also reflects the spirit and ideology that President Ho Chi Minh affirmed: that Vietnam is one nation, and the Vietnamese people are one. Photographer Chu Chi Thanh was awarded the Ho Chi Minh Prize – a prestigious award from the Party and State for literature and art – for this photo series.

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/phong-vien-chu-chi-thanh-va-buc-anh-ve-cuoc-trao-tra-tu-binh-lon-nhat-trong-lich-su-chien-tranh-post1035388.vnp