LIFE in the Vietnam War

On the 40th anniversary of President Nixon's Jan. 23, 1973, announcement that a peace accord had been reached in the Vietnam War, LIFE.com republishes what is widely regarded as the single greatest photographic achievement to emerge from the long, divisive conflict: Larry Burrows' landmark 1965 photo essay, "One Ride With Yankee Papa 13."

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Wed, Jan 23, 2013 10:00 AM EST

United States Marines Helicopter Squadron huddled at Da Nang in 1963 for the final briefing on a March 31, 1965, mission: to airlift a battalion of Vietnamese infantry to an isolated area about 20 miles away. (Larry Burrows—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images)

Click here to see the full collection at LIFE.com
United States Marines Helicopter Squadron huddled at Da Nang in 1963 for the final briefing on a March 31, 1965, mission: to airlift a battalion of Vietnamese infantry to an isolated area about 20 miles away. (Larry Burrows—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images)

Click here to see the full collection at LIFE.com