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Department of the Army Special Photographic Office

October 21, 2023

Department of the Army Special Photographic Office (DASPO) was a unit of the United States Department of the Army from 1962 to 1974.[1] The unit provided numerous images of the Vietnam War.

Department of the Army Special Photographic Office
DASPO Pacific insignia
Active1962 – 1974
Allegiance United States

Unit history Edit

DASPO was authorized by President John F. Kennedy in 1962. Col. Arthur A. Jones was tasked with providing documentary films to the United States Army, the staff at the Pentagon, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and United States Congress.[1][2][3] DASPO had three sections: DASPO CONUS (Continental United States), DASPO Panama, and DASPO Pacific.[1]

On assignment, DASPO teams captured photographs and videos of combat action, military movements, and military equipment.[4] The officers assigned to the unit coordinated activities. Enlisted personnel assigned to the unit served on the front lines to provide the photography.

DASPO photographers operated with nearly unlimited access and took direct orders from the Army Chief of Staff.[5]

DASPO CONUS Edit

DASPO CONUS (Continental United States) was headed by SFC Jack Yamuguchi. Unlike DASPO Pacific and DASPO Panama, DASPO CONUS was stationed in the United States and was capable of being sent anywhere in the world.

In April 1965, civil unrest broke out in the Dominican Republic and President Lyndon Johnson sent U.S. troops to secure peace. Shortly after, the DASPO office at the Pentagon lost contact with the DASPO Panama Detachment. A team working for DASPO CONUS at the time was assigned to cover the invasion in the Dominican Republic and was led by First Lieutenant Carl Conn.

This DASPO CONUS team was to document the military operation in the Dominican Republic as U.S. troops came under sniper fire in an urban environment. Early on in the invasion, the civilian press was invited to a press tour hosted by the rebel group. The DASPO team disguised themselves in civilian clothes and accompanied civilian journalist on the press tour, filming the rebels' equipment and combat positions along the way. Later, Lieutenant Conn and other members of the DASPO CONUS team were awarded the Combat Army Commendation Medal for their service in the Dominican Republic.[6]

DASPO Panama Edit

The Panama Detachment was based in Corazal within the Panama Canal Zone and provided photographic and video coverage documenting political activity in Central and South America. DASPO Panama was the smallest of the three DASPO unites. It was authorized for seven members and a single commanding officer. In 1971, this was unofficially augmented with an individual serving as a clerk and supply NCO.

DASPO Panama covered many historical events, including the Panama Riots of 1964, the interrogation of Che Guevara after his capture, the inauguration and later overthrow of President Arnulfo Arias Madrid, and U.S. relief efforts following national disasters. They also documented the training of U.S. troops in the Panama Canal Zone and other areas of Central and South America.[7][8]

 
Combat Photographer Harry Breedlove of DASPO wades through rice paddies during an infantry sweep outside of Saigon, Vietnam.

DASPO Pacific Edit

The Pacific Detachment, nicknamed "Team Charlie" by its members, was the most active of the DASPO sections due to its coverage of Vietnam War combat operations.[6][9] It was based in Fort Schafter in Hawaii. DASPO Pacific sent rotating teams of photographers into Vietnam for three-month tours of duty. Although other military departments and press organizations sent their own photographers into the war zones, DASPO was considered "the Army's elite photographic unit."[10]

The Vietnam teams usually consisted of a commanding officer, a non-commissioned officer, and 10-18 enlisted sound specialists, motion picture cameramen, and still photographers.[6] From their base in Saigon, DASPO photographers would follow combat units through swamps and jungles, capturing the soldiers' experiences. In his book Vietnam: Images from Combat Photographers, author C. Douglas Elliott writes that DASPO Pacific "showed soldiers--often teenagers--coping as best they could with unrelenting heat and humidity, heavy packs, heavy guns, and an invisible enemy whose mines, booby traps, and snipers could cut life short without a moment's warning."[10]

The DASPO photographers put themselves at personal risk and suffered many of the same hardships as the soldiers that they documented.[10][11]

"Faces of War" exhibit Edit

On September 24, 2015, the exhibit "Faces of War: Documenting the Vietnam War from the Front Lines" opened at the Pritzker Military Museum and Library in Chicago, Illinois.[12] The exhibit was largely planned by DASPO veterans Bill San Hamel, Dick Durrance, and Ted Acheson. They raised more than $30,000 from members and supporters of the DASPO organization to cover operating costs of the exhibit, and raised additional funds through a Kickstarter campaign.[13][14]

San Hamel, president of the DASPO Combat Photographers Association, said: "I’m proud of the men of DASPO with whom I’ve served, and we are grateful to the Pritzker Military Museum & Library for supporting us and giving us the opportunity to inform the American public about who we were as combat photographers and what we and our fellow veterans went through."[13]

The exhibit is scheduled to run until May 2016.[13][15]

Legacy Edit

The photographs and videos captured by DASPO document the Vietnam War and are now historical artifacts of this period. The purpose of DASPO was to inform the Pentagon and the Department of the Army, but their photos also often accompanied news reports and introduced the American public to the realities of the faraway war.[16] These special operations photographers produced "some of the most iconic and important images from the conflict."[12]

DASPO members established the DASPO Archive and a scholarship fund at Texas Tech University. The scholarship funds the preservation of images and audio recordings and is in the names of Kermit H. Yoho and Charles "Rick" F. Rein, DASPO members who were killed in action in Vietnam.[17]

Veterans' association Edit

The unit has an active veterans' association.[18]

References Edit

  1. ^ a b c "Department of the Army Special Photographic Office 1962-1974". ttu.edu.
  2. ^ http://www.vietnamproject.ttu.edu/daspo/charter.html
  3. ^ . armysignalocs.com. Archived from the original on 2015-09-30. Retrieved 2015-09-28.
  4. ^ "Faces of War: Introduction". www.pritzkermilitary.org. Retrieved 2015-09-30.
  5. ^ "Public Reception: Unveiling the Faces of War Exhibit". Pritzker Military Museum and Library. pritzker.org. Retrieved 2015-09-30.
  6. ^ a b c "DASPO History Powerpoint". Department of the Army Special Photographic Office 1962-1974. The Vietnam Project at Texas Tech University. Retrieved 2015-09-30.
  7. ^ Griffey, Mike. "DASPO Panama". Delphi Times. Retrieved 2015-09-30.
  8. ^ "Daspo Panama". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2015-09-30.
  9. ^ "DASPO Combat Photographers Association". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2015-09-30.
  10. ^ a b c "Teaching With Documents: The War in Vietnam - A Story in Photographs". National Archives. U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. Retrieved 2015-09-30.
  11. ^ "Introduction: FACES OF WAR: Documenting the Vietnam War from the Front Lines". Pritzker Military Museum and Library. Retrieved 2015-09-30.
  12. ^ a b "Capturing the Faces of War: DASPO Photographers in Vietnam". What's On: Pritzker Military Museum and Library. Pritzker Military Museum and Library. Retrieved 2015-10-01.
  13. ^ a b c "New exhibit on Vietnam War honors the work of U.S. Army combat photographers". PR Web. 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2015-10-01.
  14. ^ "Photo Exhibit of the Vietnam War from the Front Lines". Kickstarter. Retrieved 2015-10-01.
  15. ^ "Chicago's Pritzker Military Museum & Library Unveil 'FACES OF WAR' Exhibit on Vietnam War". www.fashion+lifestyle.wordpress.com. 27 September 2015. Retrieved 2015-10-01.
  16. ^ "Vietnam - 25 Years After The War (Transcript)". CNN International Inside Asia. CNN. 2000-04-29. Retrieved 2015-10-01.
  17. ^ "DASPO Charter". Department of the Army Special Photographic Office 1962-1974. The Vietnam Center and Archive. Retrieved 2015-10-01.
  18. ^ "DASPO Combat Photographers Association". facebook.com.
 
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October 21, 2023
department, army, special, photographic, office, this, article, uses, bare, urls, which, uninformative, vulnerable, link, please, consider, converting, them, full, citations, ensure, article, remains, verifiable, maintains, consistent, citation, style, several. This article uses bare URLs which are uninformative and vulnerable to link rot Please consider converting them to full citations to ensure the article remains verifiable and maintains a consistent citation style Several templates and tools are available to assist in formatting such as reFill documentation and Citation bot documentation August 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message Department of the Army Special Photographic Office DASPO was a unit of the United States Department of the Army from 1962 to 1974 1 The unit provided numerous images of the Vietnam War Department of the Army Special Photographic OfficeDASPO Pacific insigniaActive1962 1974Allegiance United States Contents 1 Unit history 1 1 DASPO CONUS 1 2 DASPO Panama 1 3 DASPO Pacific 2 Faces of War exhibit 3 Legacy 4 Veterans association 5 ReferencesUnit history EditDASPO was authorized by President John F Kennedy in 1962 Col Arthur A Jones was tasked with providing documentary films to the United States Army the staff at the Pentagon Joint Chiefs of Staff and United States Congress 1 2 3 DASPO had three sections DASPO CONUS Continental United States DASPO Panama and DASPO Pacific 1 On assignment DASPO teams captured photographs and videos of combat action military movements and military equipment 4 The officers assigned to the unit coordinated activities Enlisted personnel assigned to the unit served on the front lines to provide the photography DASPO photographers operated with nearly unlimited access and took direct orders from the Army Chief of Staff 5 DASPO CONUS Edit DASPO CONUS Continental United States was headed by SFC Jack Yamuguchi Unlike DASPO Pacific and DASPO Panama DASPO CONUS was stationed in the United States and was capable of being sent anywhere in the world In April 1965 civil unrest broke out in the Dominican Republic and President Lyndon Johnson sent U S troops to secure peace Shortly after the DASPO office at the Pentagon lost contact with the DASPO Panama Detachment A team working for DASPO CONUS at the time was assigned to cover the invasion in the Dominican Republic and was led by First Lieutenant Carl Conn This DASPO CONUS team was to document the military operation in the Dominican Republic as U S troops came under sniper fire in an urban environment Early on in the invasion the civilian press was invited to a press tour hosted by the rebel group The DASPO team disguised themselves in civilian clothes and accompanied civilian journalist on the press tour filming the rebels equipment and combat positions along the way Later Lieutenant Conn and other members of the DASPO CONUS team were awarded the Combat Army Commendation Medal for their service in the Dominican Republic 6 DASPO Panama Edit The Panama Detachment was based in Corazal within the Panama Canal Zone and provided photographic and video coverage documenting political activity in Central and South America DASPO Panama was the smallest of the three DASPO unites It was authorized for seven members and a single commanding officer In 1971 this was unofficially augmented with an individual serving as a clerk and supply NCO DASPO Panama covered many historical events including the Panama Riots of 1964 the interrogation of Che Guevara after his capture the inauguration and later overthrow of President Arnulfo Arias Madrid and U S relief efforts following national disasters They also documented the training of U S troops in the Panama Canal Zone and other areas of Central and South America 7 8 nbsp Combat Photographer Harry Breedlove of DASPO wades through rice paddies during an infantry sweep outside of Saigon Vietnam DASPO Pacific Edit The Pacific Detachment nicknamed Team Charlie by its members was the most active of the DASPO sections due to its coverage of Vietnam War combat operations 6 9 It was based in Fort Schafter in Hawaii DASPO Pacific sent rotating teams of photographers into Vietnam for three month tours of duty Although other military departments and press organizations sent their own photographers into the war zones DASPO was considered the Army s elite photographic unit 10 The Vietnam teams usually consisted of a commanding officer a non commissioned officer and 10 18 enlisted sound specialists motion picture cameramen and still photographers 6 From their base in Saigon DASPO photographers would follow combat units through swamps and jungles capturing the soldiers experiences In his book Vietnam Images from Combat Photographers author C Douglas Elliott writes that DASPO Pacific showed soldiers often teenagers coping as best they could with unrelenting heat and humidity heavy packs heavy guns and an invisible enemy whose mines booby traps and snipers could cut life short without a moment s warning 10 The DASPO photographers put themselves at personal risk and suffered many of the same hardships as the soldiers that they documented 10 11 Faces of War exhibit EditOn September 24 2015 the exhibit Faces of War Documenting the Vietnam War from the Front Lines opened at the Pritzker Military Museum and Library in Chicago Illinois 12 The exhibit was largely planned by DASPO veterans Bill San Hamel Dick Durrance and Ted Acheson They raised more than 30 000 from members and supporters of the DASPO organization to cover operating costs of the exhibit and raised additional funds through a Kickstarter campaign 13 14 San Hamel president of the DASPO Combat Photographers Association said I m proud of the men of DASPO with whom I ve served and we are grateful to the Pritzker Military Museum amp Library for supporting us and giving us the opportunity to inform the American public about who we were as combat photographers and what we and our fellow veterans went through 13 The exhibit is scheduled to run until May 2016 13 15 Legacy EditThe photographs and videos captured by DASPO document the Vietnam War and are now historical artifacts of this period The purpose of DASPO was to inform the Pentagon and the Department of the Army but their photos also often accompanied news reports and introduced the American public to the realities of the faraway war 16 These special operations photographers produced some of the most iconic and important images from the conflict 12 DASPO members established the DASPO Archive and a scholarship fund at Texas Tech University The scholarship funds the preservation of images and audio recordings and is in the names of Kermit H Yoho and Charles Rick F Rein DASPO members who were killed in action in Vietnam 17 Veterans association EditThe unit has an active veterans association 18 References Edit a b c Department of the Army Special Photographic Office 1962 1974 ttu edu http www vietnamproject ttu edu daspo charter html Who The Hell Is DASPO armysignalocs com Archived from the original on 2015 09 30 Retrieved 2015 09 28 Faces of War Introduction www pritzkermilitary org Retrieved 2015 09 30 Public Reception Unveiling the Faces of War Exhibit Pritzker Military Museum and Library pritzker org Retrieved 2015 09 30 a b c DASPO History Powerpoint Department of the Army Special Photographic Office 1962 1974 The Vietnam Project at Texas Tech University Retrieved 2015 09 30 Griffey Mike DASPO Panama Delphi Times Retrieved 2015 09 30 Daspo Panama www facebook com Retrieved 2015 09 30 DASPO Combat Photographers Association www facebook com Retrieved 2015 09 30 a b c Teaching With Documents The War in Vietnam A Story in Photographs National Archives U S National Archives and Records Administration Retrieved 2015 09 30 Introduction FACES OF WAR Documenting the Vietnam War from the Front Lines Pritzker Military Museum and Library Retrieved 2015 09 30 a b Capturing the Faces of War DASPO Photographers in Vietnam What s On Pritzker Military Museum and Library Pritzker Military Museum and Library Retrieved 2015 10 01 a b c New exhibit on Vietnam War honors the work of U S Army combat photographers PR Web 2015 09 23 Retrieved 2015 10 01 Photo Exhibit of the Vietnam War from the Front Lines Kickstarter Retrieved 2015 10 01 Chicago s Pritzker Military Museum amp Library Unveil FACES OF WAR Exhibit on Vietnam War www fashion lifestyle wordpress com 27 September 2015 Retrieved 2015 10 01 Vietnam 25 Years After The War Transcript CNN International Inside Asia CNN 2000 04 29 Retrieved 2015 10 01 DASPO Charter Department of the Army Special Photographic Office 1962 1974 The Vietnam Center and Archive Retrieved 2015 10 01 DASPO Combat Photographers Association facebook com nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Department of the Army Special Photographic Office Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Department of the Army Special Photographic Office amp oldid 1174276028, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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