Deputy community chief of Yeneka village Douglas Oguta poses for a portrait in his home on the outskirts of the Bayelsa state capital, Yenagoa, in Nigeria's delta region October 8, 2015. Tensions are building in the swampland of the Niger Delta as an amnesty that aimed to bring stability to Nigeria's volatile southern region is due to expire at the end of the year. While the region's towns and cities are mostly calm, local residents say kidnappings and armed robberies are on the increase in the mangrove swamps, where most oil wells are located. (Photo by Akintunde Akinleye/Reuters)

This picture taken on August 4, 2016 shows three orphaned orangutan babies hanging in a tree whilst attending “jungle school” at the International Animal Rescue centre outside the city of Ketapang in West Kalimantan. (Photo by Bay Ismoyo/AFP Photo)

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 Puffing Billy steam train hauled by locomotive 14A crosses the Monbulk Creek trestle after leaving Belgrave station near Melbourne, October 20, 2014. While the discovery of steam power 200 years ago powered the Industrial Revolution, the world long ago shunted most steam trains onto the sidings of history. (Photo by Jason Reed/Reuters)

A couple hugs while standing near a Christmas tree made out of plastic bins and plastic hampers outside the Museum of History in Monterrey, Mexico, December 4, 2015. The humble Christmas tree has a rich history, from evergreen trees used to symbolise eternal life in Ancient Egypt to tree worship among pagan Europeans. The modern version has its origins in Germany, where the song “O Tannenbaum” is still a festive favourite. Today the traditional tree with lights and decorations appears in cities including Washington, Moscow and Beirut. Alternative constructions range from recycled rubbish in Mexico City to old window frames in Rakvere, Estonia. Whatever the shape or size, the message is the same: Merry Christmas. (Photo by Neil Hall/Reuters)

Macaque monkeys sit on a car in Hua Hin on May 29, 2020, as low tourist numbers due to the ongoing COVID-19 novel coronavirus situation have resulted in a decrease in the number of people feeding them. The monkeys in the town are going hungry as a consequence of the drop in tourism as a result of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Jack Taylor/AFP Photo)

Kindergartner Cameron McManus, 5, watches as a fellow student has his portrait made during “picture day” at Rogers International School on September 23, 2020 in Stamford, Connecticut. Students lined up outside to be photographed while socially distanced due to COVID-19 precautions. Most students at Stamford Public Schools are taking part in a hybrid education model, attending in-school classes every other day and distance learning the rest. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)

Gentoo penguins watching Christmas films at the Sea Life London aquarium on November 30, 2020. The attraction has installed two TVs, showing festive films, outside the penguin enclosure to prepare them for the stimulation of guests returning on Wednesday after the UK’s lockdown is lifted. (Photo by Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images)