Skip to main content
See every side of every news story
Published loading...Updated

Sal Veder, Pulitzer Prize-Winning AP Photographer Who Shot Iconic ‘Burst of Joy,’ Dies at Age 99

His 1973 Vietnam War reunion image won the 1974 Pulitzer Prize and became a symbol of the war’s end, the Associated Press said.

  • Pulitzer Prize-winning Associated Press photographer Slava 'Sal' Veder died in his sleep on August 22 at age 99, just eight days before his 100th birthday at his home in El Dorado County, California.
  • Veder became famous for his 1973 "Burst of Joy" photograph, which captured U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Robert L. Stirm reuniting with his four children after five years in a Vietnam prisoner of war camp.
  • Before retiring from the AP in 1993, Veder covered historic assignments including Vietnam War protests, the bank robbery trial of Patty Hearst, and the 1978 assassinations of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk.
  • Colleagues remembered Veder as a dedicated mentor who emphasized the connection between pictures and words. Freelance photographer Brad Mangin called him "a great mentor and teacher" who encouraged photographers to "dive deeper."
  • Born in Berkeley, California, in 1926, Veder was the only child of Russian immigrants Ivan and Anka Veder who had left Russia and taken the names John and Ann. He joined the AP in 1961 and later transferred to the San Francisco bureau.
Insights by Ground AI

68 Articles

Lean Left

The award-winning photo shows the joy of a family of a lieutenant-colonel of the US Air Force on his return to the United States, after five years in a prison camp. This photograph became the symbol of the end of American engagement in the Vietnam War.

·Paris, France
Read Full Article
Lean Left

American photographer Slava Veder, who became famous for his emotional March 1973 photograph of a family rejoicing with a U.S. Air Force member released from Vietnamese captivity, has died at the age of 99. The Associated Press reported today. Veder won the 1974 Pulitzer Prize for the photograph, known as Burst of Joy.

Read Full Article
Think freely.Subscribe and get full access to Ground NewsSubscriptions start at $9.99/yearSubscribe

Bias Distribution

  • 48% of the sources are Center
48% Center

Factuality Info Icon

To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium

Ownership

Info Icon

To view ownership data please Upgrade to Vantage

KRCG broke the news in Jefferson City, United States on Wednesday, August 26, 2026.
Too Big Arrow Icon
Sources are mostly out of (0)

Similar News Topics

News
Feed Dots Icon
For You
Search Icon
Search
Blindspot LogoBlindspotLocal