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)

A Manchester City fan attends the trophy ceremony after the end of the Soccer Club World Cup final match between Manchester City FC and Fluminense FC at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Friday, December 22, 2023. Manchester City won 4-0. (Photo by Manu Fernandez/AP Photo)

Santa Claus helps close out the "100 Year Anniversary of the 1911" by playing one chorus of "Jingle Bells" with the Colt 1911 Series 80 Government model. Ammo is .45 ACP Winchester 230 gr FMJ, approximately 98 rounds.

New York Yankees' Domingo Germán, center, is doused by teammates after he pitched a perfect game against the Oakland Athletics in a baseball game in Oakland, Calif., Wednesday, June 28, 2023. The Yankees won 11-0. (Photo by Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Photo)