Death of a Communist Hitman 40 Years Ago

40 years ago a leader of a Viet Cong assassination squad, Nguyễn Văn Lém, was summarily executed by the police General Nguyễn Ngọc Loan during the height of the Tet Offensive. We forget at our peril the Vietnam war wasn't a "war of liberation" but a war of conquest by Communists. The VC getting whacked was found over several dozen bound and executed policemen. During the battle for Hue the VC and North Vietnam forces used the same plan to exterminate real and potential enemies like policemen, teachers, clergy and civil servants and their families who would serve as a nucleus for opposition to communist rule, see the Chekist. These tactics were also used by the Khmer Rouge when they conquered Cambodia.

On NPR they discussed they this image as depicting inhumanity of war rather than as a commie terrorist, not guerrilla, getting his just desserts.