It seems like ancient history to many of us, but the Cambodian civil war (1975-1979) was one of the most brutal conflicts the Earth has ever seen. You can make a pretty good argument that the war was a direct result of US intervention in Vietnam (right next door!) and the destabilization of a region (sound familiar?).
Dith Pran was a translator and partner to a NY Times journalist working in Cambodia at the time. Their story was captured in the 1984 film, The Killing Fields - it is an amazing film.
Dith Pran made it out of Cambodia after living in a concentration camp for years...he just died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 65. He was working as a photojournalist for the NY Times and lived in Woodbridge, NJ.
The NY Times has a tragic and compelling tribute to him, including his photographs and story. There is also a video made shortly before his death.
I'm not sure of the exact connection to our subject matter on a personal level (the comparisons between Vietnam/Cambodia and Iraq/? are not heartening), but he was a great man and the film is a very accurate portrayal of immense courage amidst horrific events. You can read and see more here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/31/nyregion/31dith.html?ref=todayspaper
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