13 rare color photos of the Vietnam War, taken by the veterans who served

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Vietnam War, Dennis Thornton

Dennis Thornton

41 years have passed since the end of the Vietnam War, and more photos of the conflict are emerging every year. Many of the best-known photos of the war were taken not by those who served, but by the photojournalists who were sent there by certain publications.

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But after a close friend lost her father, a veteran who had served in the Vietnam War, photo editor Kendra Rennick found herself interested in the stories of the men who served there. She and her friend soon discovered old slides - film that was intended for projection onto a screen using a slide projector - that were taken by her father during the war. This sparked an idea in Rennick's mind, and soon the Vietnam Slide Project was born.

"It amazes me that these images, for the most part, remain untouched in basements or attics collecting dust," Rennick told Business Insider. "Many of these images are quite visually striking. These images speak to both my generation and older generations who lived through this time in history."

Below, see compelling color photos from the Vietnam War, taken by the veterans who served.