In this episode, Ken sits down with Carl Robinson, a man who carried a secret for over five decades that could have rewritten the history of photojournalism. Carl was a key editor for the Associated Press (AP) during the Vietnam War and is the central figure in the Emmy-nominated Netflix documentary, The Stringer.

We dive deep into the moment Carl was ordered by his boss to put the wrong name on the iconic "Napalm Girl" photo—an image credited with changing the course of the war. Now 80 years old, Carl reveals the "moral weight" he carried, his journey to find the real photographer in the Vietnamese countryside, and his raw, unfiltered take on the political "balloon" he’s popping in 2026.

Inside this high-stakes conversation:

The "Whisper" in Saigon: The exact moment Carl was told to lie and why he felt he couldn't stand up to the "celebrity machine" at the time.

Finding the Ghost: How Carl tracked down the real photographer, Hoang Van Tuoi, just 24 hours before a near-fatal stroke almost silenced the truth forever.

The "Divorce" Theory: Why Carl views the North vs. South conflict as a family divorce where the children (the diaspora) are still fighting over the house.

Substack & To Lam: Carl's 2026 insights into the new leadership in Vietnam and why he believes the government is still "afraid" to acknowledge the South’s history.

Warding off Dementia: How writing long-form journalism at 80 is Carl's secret weapon for keeping a "lucid" and sharp mind.

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Many of you still have the chance to record and preserve the legacies of your own families. I’ve sat with families now for interview sessions to record the rich histories of parents and explore the lives of the generations that preceded them. Don’t let your family stories go untold! Take a moment to reach out and together we will bring out your family’s story on a recorded journey. - Kenneth Nguyen

Visit https://www.vietnamstorybank.com/ today for more information!

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