French photojournalist Catherine Leroy, who covered the Vietnam War as well as many other global conflicts, died of cancer on July 8. She was 60.
In 1966, at the age of 21, Leroy packed up her Leica and bought a one-way ticket to Vietnam. While photographing the combat, she was wounded with a Marine unit in the DMZ, and was captured by the North Vietnamese Army during the 1968 Tet offensive. Her views of the North Vietnamese Army in action landed her a Life cover.
In 1972, Leroy shot and directed "Operation Last Patrol," a film about anti-war Vietnam veterans. In subsequent years, she documented many areas of conflict, including Somalia, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Libya.
Leroy had been living in the Los Angeles area, where she ran the Piece Unique Gallery, which specialized in Vietnam War photography. Her work has been recognized with many honors, including the Overseas Press Club of America's George Polk Award, Picture of the Year and the Robert Capa Award for her coverage of the 1975 civil war in Lebanon.