A man poses with a hyena along a street in Lagos, Nigeria November 4, 2008. (Photo by Akintunde Akinleye/Reuters)

A golden pheasant is seen at Hangzhou Safari Park in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, November 13, 2016. According to local media, the pheasant gains popularity as its golden feathers resemble the hairstyle of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. (Photo by Reuters/Stringer)

In the spring of 1965, within weeks of 3,500 American Marines arriving in Vietnam, a 39-year-old Briton named Larry Burrows began work on a feature for LIFE magazine, chronicling the day-to-day experience of U.S. troops on the ground – and in the air – in the midst of the rapidly widening war. The photographs in this gallery focus on a calamitous March 31, 1965, helicopter mission; Burrows’ “report from Da Nang”, featuring his pictures and his personal account of the harrowing operation, was published two weeks later as a now-famous cover story in the April 16, 1965, issue of LIFE.

Photo: Man your battle stations: The crew chief of helicopter Yankee Papa 13, lance corporal James C. Farley, mans an M-60 machine gun during a mission near Da Nang, Vietnam on March 31, 1965. (Photo by Larry Burrows/Time & Life Pictures)

Grand prize winner: environmental photographer of the year 2023; also 1st place in the humanity v nature category; and winner of the 2023 public award. Lopé national park, Gabon, 2021. An angry elephant tries to defend itself after it was hit by a train that crosses paths the animals use within Lopé national park. Park officials decided the elephant was too severely injured to be saved. After it was killed, the park director distributed the meat to local people. As the forest loses its carrying capacity to sustain its megafauna, this kind of human-wildlife conflict is increasing. (Photo by Jasper Doest/Environmental Photography Award)

Cai Xuning, 36, takes care of pet rabbits at PET ZONE pet store on January 17, 2023 in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Pet rabbit breeder and PET ZONE store owner Cai Xuning is seeing an increase in interest in pet rabbits, as China prepares to welcome the Spring Festival on January 22, ushering in the Year of the Rabbit. (Photo by Getty Images)

Retired 90 year old Frank Foss of St. Petersburg, Florida, with his home made banjo, made from a frying pan, a length of wood and some strings. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images). 2nd July 1972

History Created on 15th June 92 Young poor & Physically challenged Couples tied in a lifelong knot of Marriage “Free of Cost” Combined Marriage Function at Ramlila Ground on behalf of “Narayan Sewa Sansthan”. “Although we are unable to move without the support of a crutch or might take the help of others in performing every activity, still, we can afford to become a support for each other”. With this spirit, 92 young disabled and poor brides &bridegrooms promised to support each other throughout their life. The historical Ramliila Ground of Delhi became the witness of this mega event. Photo: Mass wedding in Delhi.

Construction workers carry bricks on their heads near the country's parliament building in Naypyitaw November 11, 2014. Yangon lost its status as Myanmar's capital in 2005, after the former military junta carved a new seat of government from a parched wilderness some 380 km (236 miles) to the north and called it Naypyitaw (“Abode of Kings”). (Photo by Damir Sagolj/Reuters)