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 image released on October 2, Bella Hadid is seen backstage during Rihanna's Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 2 presented by Amazon Prime Video at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California; and broadcast on October 2, 2020. (Photo by Jerritt Clark/Getty Images for Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 2 Presented by Amazon Prime Video)

Military planes fly above a statue of Soviet Union founder Vladimir Lenin during a Naval parade rehearsal in St. Petersburg, Russia, Thursday, July 25, 2019. The celebration of Navy Day in Russia is traditionally marked on the last Sunday of July and will be celebrated on July 28 this year. (Photo by Dmitri Lovetsky/AP Photo)

Bianca Toniolo picks a daisy as the family take a walk through the woods 200 metres from their home in San Fiorano, March 19, 2020. This was the last time the family went to the woods as restrictions got stricter throughout the country to try and contain the spread of coronavirus. (Photo by Marzio Toniolo/Reuters)

English singer and songwriter Dua Lipa performs onstage during the Dua Lipa Future Nostalgia Tour at FTX Arena on February 09, 2022 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Jason Koerner/Getty Images)

Egyptians members of the “Tanoura Dance Troupe” perform during the holy month of Ramadan, at the Ghouri complex, in Islamic Cairo, Egypt, 13 April 2022. (Photo by Khaled Elfiqi/EPA/EFE)

Xochimilco – Island of the Dolls – Dead Line. Photo by Ramalama_22

A model poses beside a Renault DeZir concept car during the media day of the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition at Shanghai New International Expo Center on April 20, 2011 in Shanghai, China. The 14th Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition (Auto Shanghai 2011) will be held from April 21 to 28 with the theme of “Innovation For Tomorrow”. About 2,000 carmakers and parts providers from 20 countries are due to showcase 1,100 car models, 75 of which makes their world premieres in the auto show. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)