2007 World Photo of the Year: ‘Exhaustion of a Man…of a Nation’

A British photographer who traveled to Afghanistan to portray U.S. soldiers on that battlefront for ABC News and "Vanity Fair" received World Press Photo’s top prize for his work there. The photograph taken Sept. 16, 2007 by Tim Hetherington shows an exhausted U.S. soldier resting at "Restrepo" bunker, which was named after a fallen comrade. "This image represents the exhaustion of a man — and the exhaustion of a nation," Gary Knight, who chaired the jury that judged the contest, said. THE BLOTTER RECOMMENDS Photos The Forgotten War in Afghanistan Blotter Ambush: Video Shows U.S. Troops Being Hunted, Killed Good Morning America Video The Forgotten War Click Here for Full Blotter Coverage "There’s a human quality to this picture," said fellow juror Mary Anne Golon. "It says that conflict is the basis of this man’s life." Hetherington’s work was seen on ABC News this past November in several reports on ABC News programs and on ABCNews.com. Those reports showed dramatic video of how American soldiers in Afghanistan are being set up for deadly ambushes after trying to make peace with village leaders in Taliban-controlled areas. The footage used — and taken by Tim Hetherington — profiled the 2nd Platoon, Battle (b) company of the 173rd Airborne then stationed in the dangerous Korengal Valley of Kunar Province. During that assignment, Hetherington broke his foot during a nighttime mission with the platoon but continued to walk on it for hours as the platoon tried to evade an ambush by Taliban forces. The honored photograph was part of a picture story by Hetherington that was also awarded second prize in General News Stories. Click Here for Full Blotter Coverage.