One armed fisherman, Hoi An, Vietnam

Description

Mr. Tuấn, 62, is a veteran who lost his left arm in the Vietnam-Cambodia war in 1980. After retiring 30 years ago, he lives by fishing with the remaining arm on Thu Bồn River in Quảng Nam Province, Vietnam. He wears a conical hat, sails a boat under the net, uses a small stick to hit fish caught in the net, opens a small hole, and picks them up into the basket. He earns about $9 in wages on favorable nights.

National Geographic Your Shot – May 2, 2020

This remarkable fine-art print presents a poignant glimpse into the life of Mr. Tuấn, a resilient 62-year-old veteran marked by the indelible scars of the Vietnam-Cambodia war. Deprived of his left arm during the conflict in 1980, Mr. Tuấn has spent the past three decades navigating the waters of the Thu Bồn River in Quảng Nam Province, Vietnam.

Retirement has not ushered him into a life of leisure; instead, he sustains himself through the rhythmic dance of fishing. A conical hat adorns his head as he skillfully pilots his boat beneath the embrace of a fishing net. With his remaining arm, he wields a small stick, a humble yet effective tool in his pursuit of sustenance. The process unfolds delicately—a strategic strike of the stick, a deft opening in the net, and the retrieval of the captured fish into a waiting basket.

In the stillness of the river, Mr. Tuấn’s resilience becomes a silent symphony, resonating with the echoes of his past and the tranquil flow of the present. His nightly endeavors yield a meager income, averaging around $9, a testament to the challenging nature of his chosen livelihood.

This evocative photograph invites viewers to contemplate the quiet strength and determination etched across Mr. Tuấn’s weathered visage. It is a snapshot frozen in time, capturing not only the act of survival but also the enduring spirit that propels this veteran forward in the face of adversity.