Nguyen Van Lem

Who was Nguyen Van Lem?

Nguyễn Văn Lém was a member of the National Liberation Front who was summarily executed in Saigon by General Nguyen Ngoc Loan during the Tet Offensive. The execution was captured on film by photojournalist Eddie Adams. The execution was explained at the time as being the consequence of Lém's suspected guerrilla activity and war crimes, and otherwise due to a general "wartime mentality". It was later learned that Lem was suspected of having murdered one of General Loan's senior officers, and his entire family, during the Tet Offensive shortly before General Loan summarily executed him on a busy Saigon street with a Smith & Wesson Model 38/49 Airweight revolver.