This famous historical photograph shows North Vietnamese citizens rescuing U.S. Navy pilot John McCain from Trúc Bạch Lake in Hanoi, Vietnam, on October 26, 1967, during the Vietnam War.
McCain, then a 31-year-old Navy lieutenant commander, was flying his A-4 Skyhawk on a bombing mission over Hanoi when his plane was shot down by a surface-to-air missile. He ejected but broke both arms and a leg during the ejection and parachute landing, falling into Trúc Bạch Lake.
Local Vietnamese rushed into the water to pull him out. After being rescued, McCain was captured and taken as a prisoner of war (POW) to the infamous Hỏa Lò Prison, known as the “Hanoi Hilton,” where he remained for over five years.
This image has since become one of the most recognizable photos from the Vietnam War, symbolizing both the human and political complexities of that conflict.
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