Reading over today’s news, I found that Dith Pran passed away yesterday, Sunday March 30, 2008. I was very sorry to read that.
Dith Pran was known to the world as one of the characters in the movie “The Killing Fields.” And because of his role in that true story, he was certainly one of history’s heroes to humanity. To me he will always be known as all that, plus a little bit more.
In 2005, I had the honor of meeting Dith Pran, a New York Times photographer, when he came to my office to shoot a photo session for a story The New York Times had written about me. When the NYT photo desk called to arrange the appointment a few days before, I asked them the name of the photographer they would be sending.
“Well, we’ll send either Sally Jones or Dith Pran,” said the photo editor.
“Dith Pran?” I asked. “You mean the fellow from ‘The Killing Fields?’ ”
“Yes. The same.”
“Well, if you can, please send Dith because I’d certainly love to meet him,” was my reply.
And sure enough a few days later, there was Dith Pran at my door. I was quite honored.
During the 2 1/2 hours Dith spent photographing me, from every imaginable angle I might add, I discovered that underneath his image of hero to humanity was something more. Something that we all can relate to.
He was an engaging personality, an average New Jersey (his adopted home) guy just like me, and above all a gentleman. A pleasure to be around. His personality sparkled, and when I thought about how much he had been through I decided to take a lesson and improve my outlook on, well, everything.
Certainly our lives will be diminished because of his passing, but my life was augmented because of that 2 1/2 hours.
What a story – to actually have met Dith Pran would truly be an experience – and an honor.
Anyone who knows any level of history, or who had their guts wrenched as they watched the “Killing Fields”, knows that Dith Pran survived that nightmare to make sure that the story was truthfully told and that it would never be forgotten… so it would never happen again.
You can honor Dith Pran, and all who did not survive, by watching Dith Pran’s “The Last Word” at http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/multimedia/20080320_DITH_PRAN_LAST_WORD_FEATURE/index.html#section1
Dith Pran had been recently hospitalized from cancer and from his bed, with his last words, he promises us that his soul will be eternally free if we all tell the story so we can remember and never let this happen again.
Humanity needs to be his voice now.