Courtney Stodden attends the finale of “Celebs Go Dating” TV show filming at Dirty Martini in London, England on July 26, 2017. (Photo by Beretta/Sims/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

English actress and model Elizabeth Hurley snuggles up to her beau Billy Ray Cyrus in lingerie on December 9, 2025. (Photo by elizabethhurley1/Instagram)

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)

Cameroonian model Venance Chiepodeu also known as Miss Cameroon arrives at Spring Studios for the LaQuan Smith's Dinner during fashion week in New York City on September 16, 2020. (Photo by Gabriele Holtermann/Sipa USA)

Brazilian-American model Alessandra Ambrosio and other celebs arrive at the “Vogue Paris Celebrates 100” party at Palais Galliera during spring/summer 2022 Fashion Week in Paris, France on October 1, 2021. (Photo by Best Image/Backgrid USA)

UK reality TV star Jemma Lucy enjoys a girls night out at Minagerie, Sakana and Club Liv in Manchester, England on September 18, 2016. (Photo by XposurePhotos.com)

Model Bella Hadid celebrates her 20th birthday with her mother Yolanda Foster, The Weeknd and Shanina Shaik at Up & Down in New York City, NY on October 10, 2016. (Photo by TheStewartofNY/Splash News)

Kylie Jenner is seen on November 02, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Splash News and Pictures)