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)

In this handout image provided by Perth 2011, HMB Endeavour, the replica of Captain James Cook's ship, is farewelled from Sydney Harbour accompanied by three Olympic class Laser yachts on April 16, 2011 in Sydney, Australia. The ship was farewelled from Sydney to start her circumnavigation of Australia, ending up in Freemantle where she will play a role in the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships in December. (Photo by Richard Palfreyman/Perth 2011 via Getty Images)

A traveller washes his horse in the River Eden in preparation for selling at the Appleby Horse Fair on June 3, 2011 in Appleby, England. Appleby Horse Fair has existed under the protection of a charter granted by James II since 1685. It is one of the key gathering points for the Romany, gypsy and traveling community. Appleby Horse Fair is attended by about 5,000 travelers who come to buy and sell horses. The animals are washed and groomed before being ridden at high speed along the “mad mile” for the viewing of potential buyers. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Russian political artist Nadezhda Khuzina was born December 12, 1982 in the city of Serpukhov, Russia. In 2001 she graduated from Moscow Region Pedagogical College, in 2008 – St. Petersburg Art and Industry Academy. Now Nadezhda Khuzina is living in San Diego, CA. Nadezhda Khuzina “Nadia” has devoted her last paintings to Winter Olympics in Sochi, featuring Russian president Putin in different roles. Vladimir Putin is able to perform any sport – skater and skier, hockey player and snowboarder, such James Bond of Olympics, able to cope with any task. The creative artist is inspired by the image of Russian president, a charismatic man Vladimir Putin

“The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge”, “The Queen” and “Prince Harry” outside the Summerhall arts venue in Edinburgh, Scotland, where their creator Alison Jackson is holding a live performance of her work called La Trashiata. Debuting at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and broadcast to Odeon Cinemas in association with Hibrow Productions, “La Trashiata” will feature a roster of Alison Jackson's brilliant lookalikes singing some of opera's most famous arias. The stage will be set for uncanny doppelgangers to each take to the stage and perform their amusingly appropriate song. (Photo by James Glossop/The Times/SIPA Press/News Syndication)

A statue is seen at the theme park “Love Land” on October 19, 2011 in Jeju, South Korea. Love Land is an outdoor sеx-themed sculpture park which opened in 2004 on Jeju Island. The park runs sеx education films and features 140 sculptures representing humans in various sеxual positions. It also has other elements such as large phallus statues, stone labia, and hands-on exhibits such as a “masturbation-cycle”. (Photo by James Jiao/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Flemish Minister President Jan Jambon pictured in the Danish pavilion during the official opening of the Belgian pavilion at the 59th Venice Biennale – La Biennale di Venezia, International Art Exhibition, Thursday 21 April 2022, in Venice, Italy, Thursday 21 April 2022. Belgian artist Alys will present “The Nature of the Game”, an exhibition that will reveal a selection of films and a series of paintings. (Photo by James Arthur Gekiere/Belga Mag/Belga via AFP Photo)

Fifty Shades Darker lingerie by Coco de Mer – capturing the “inner goddess” of Anastasia Steele – is launched following record-breaking release of movie’s new trailer. Official collection developed in conjunction with E.L. James to coincide with the new Fifty Shades Darker movie. They are the first official Fifty Shades Darker products to be released ahead of the new movie whose trailer was watched 114 million times in first 24 hours, breaking Star Wars: The Force Awakens previous record. (Photo by Rankin/Coco de Mer/Rex Shutterstock)