The Spy Who Loved Us_ The Vietnam War and Pham Xuan An's Dangerous Game ( PDFDrive )

186 THOMAS A. BASS
By translating the queer customs of the East into personal advice,
he became the Dear Abby of sexual dysfunction, heightened
pleasure, longevity, and other cures offered by Chinese
medicine, providing various powders and potions to friends in
need. “I gave Jonathan Larsen some good Chinese medicine for
having children. ‘This is very expensive medicine, rich in E vitamins,’
I said. ‘Take this every day, and, while taking it, you
should have sexual intercourse only with your wife. Don’t go
wild, spreading your sperm all over the place.’ I don’t know
whether or not he listened to me, but he took my medicine.”
In spite of accusations by Time editors in New York that the
Saigon press corps was a weak-kneed bunch of whiners who
covered the war from the rooftop bar of the Caravelle Hotel
(this accusation, published in the “Press” section of the magazine,
had resulted in Charley Mohr’s resignation), a wartime assignment
in Southeast Asia was grueling, dangerous, and
sometimes deadly. Three Time-Life correspondents were killed
in the war, and many were injured. The first casualty was Life
photographer Robert Capa, who was killed on assignment in Indochina
in 1954. The last casualty was photographer Larry
Burrows, who for nine years did combat reporting, photo essays,
and twenty-two covers for Life magazine before the South Vietnamese
helicopter in which he was riding was shot down over
Laos in 1971.
In a prolonged war with shifting boundaries and murky allegiances,
being captured was a serious threat. An got reports
from the Communists on who had been captured and where
they were being held. On numerous occasions he vouched for
his journalist colleagues and worked through back-channel
contacts to get them released. In public, he feigned helplessness.
While aiding his fellow Time journalist Robert Sam Anson,
An came closest to getting discovered. Another attempt to free
Time photojournalist Sean Flynn resulted in failure.