---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I wished I died in that attack with my…"
description: "\"I wished I died in that attack with my cousin, with my south Vietnamese soldiers. I wish I died at that time so I won't suffer like that anymore... it ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dc/phan-thi-kim-phuc-9214_anger_i-wished-i-died-in-that-attack-with-my-c_810514.jpg"
---

#  I wished I died in that attack with my cousin, with my…

![“I wished I died in that attack with my cousin, with my south Vietnamese soldiers. I wish I died at that time so I won't suffer like that anymore... it was so hard for me to carry all that burden with that hatred, with that anger and bitterness.” quote by Phan Thi Kim Phuc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dc/phan-thi-kim-phuc-9214_anger_i-wished-i-died-in-that-attack-with-my-c_810514.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dc/phan-thi-kim-phuc-9214_anger_i-wished-i-died-in-that-attack-with-my-c_810514.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dc/phan-thi-kim-phuc-9214_anger_i-wished-i-died-in-that-attack-with-my-c_810514.jpg)

> “I wished I died in that attack with my cousin, with my south Vietnamese soldiers. I wish I died at that time so I won't suffer like that anymore... it was so hard for me to carry all that burden with that hatred, with that anger and bitterness.”

[Phan Thi Kim Phuc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phan-thi-kim-phuc/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

She expresses a wish to have died earlier to avoid ongoing suffering from trauma and hatred.

**In simple terms:** She wishes she had died to escape pain.

Key Takeaway

Seek healing, not escape.

Themes

trauma war grief resilience

Mood

sorrowful hopeful

Type

reflective inspirational

When to use this quote

- therapy
- support groups
- community activism

Key Concepts

post-traumatic stress forgiveness

Questions to Reflect On

- How can survivors find purpose after trauma?
- What steps help transform anger into peace?

A Different Perspective

Escapism does not resolve deep wounds.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Anger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anger/) [Anger and bitterness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anger-and-bitterness/) [Hatred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hatred/) [Hatred Anger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hatred-anger/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/)

## Related quotes

> [Suffering is part of the human condition, and it comes to us all. The key is how we react to it, either turning away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/suffering-is-part-of-the-human-condition-and-it-comes-to-us-all-the/)

[Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/)

> [Acrid bitterness inevitably seeps into the lives of people who harbor grudges and suppress anger, and bitterness is always a poison. It keeps your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-strobel/acrid-bitterness-inevitably-seeps-into-the-lives-of-people-who-harbor/)

[Lee Strobel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-strobel/)

> [The person you're mad at might moved on and they're not thinking about you. So you're anger and bitterness is not hurting them ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/the-person-you-re-mad-at-might-moved-on-and-they-re-not-thinking/)

[Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/)

> [Anger and bitterness are two noticeable signs of being focused on self and not trusting God's sovereignty in your life. When you believe that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-broger/anger-and-bitterness-are-two-noticeable-signs-of-being-focused-on/)

[John C. Broger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-broger/)

> [“Anger and bitterness are normal feelings, but they’re like cancer if you can’t control them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-peterson/anger-and-bitterness-are-normal-feelings-but-they-re-like-cancer-if/)

[Andrew Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-peterson/)

> [They promised me that this would be my home. That girls like you would always be my sisters. But they weren't my sisters, were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-carter/they-promised-me-that-this-would-be-my-home-that-girls-like-you-would/)

[Ally Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-carter/)

> [“We all have unfair things happen to us. We can choose to cling to that hurt and let it destroy our day-to-day happiness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/we-all-have-unfair-things-happen-to-us-we-can-choose-to-cling-to-that/)

[Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/)

> [When I first got into the studio once again, and I started hearing the beats, the anger and bitterness was coming out of me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-sunshine/when-i-first-got-into-the-studio-once-again-and-i-started-hearing-the/)

[Tony Sunshine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-sunshine/)

> [The more we hold on to our hurts, anger and bitterness, the more we become slaves to unforgiveness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-leigh-demoss/the-more-we-hold-on-to-our-hurts-anger-and-bitterness-the-more-we/)

[Nancy Leigh DeMoss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-leigh-demoss/)

> [“When anything in life is an absolute requirement for your happiness and self-worth, it is essentially an ‘idol,’ something you are actually worshiping. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/when-anything-in-life-is-an-absolute-requirement-for-your-happiness/)

[Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/)

> [“Bitterness \* Broken men Walk away from broken sons Who stab them in the gut In anger And bitterness For crimes they are both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rassool-jibraeel-snyman/bitterness-broken-men-walk-away-from-broken-sons-who-stab-them-in-the/)

[rassool jibraeel snyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rassool-jibraeel-snyman/)

> [If you harbor hatred, anger, and bitterness (towards her), then you are absolutely locked into a bond through those negative emotions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-phil/if-you-harbor-hatred-anger-and-bitterness-towards-her-then-you-are/)

[Dr Phil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-phil/)

> [When I saw my wife again standing by the tracks as the train came in by the piled logs at the station, I wished…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/when-i-saw-my-wife-again-standing-by-the-tracks-as-the-train-came-in/)

[Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/)

> [“Bending over her bed, I saw the smile I must have seen when gaping up from the crib. Knowing death will come, sensing its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/galway-kinnell/bending-over-her-bed-i-saw-the-smile-i-must-have-seen-when-gaping-up/)

[Galway Kinnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/galway-kinnell/)

> [“With Angela, everything about Damian died. His hopes, his dreams, his emotions. From that day on, Trey watched with regret, and a silent prayer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-white/with-angela-everything-about-damian-died-his-hopes-his-dreams-his/)

[Elaine White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-white/)

## More by Phan Thi Kim Phuc

> [I suffered too much and I want to stop the suffering of other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phan-thi-kim-phuc/i-suffered-too-much-and-i-want-to-stop-the-suffering-of-other-people/)

[Phan Thi Kim Phuc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phan-thi-kim-phuc/)

> [From time to time I look at the picture when I am very sad. I just want to remember my past and that scene…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phan-thi-kim-phuc/from-time-to-time-i-look-at-the-picture-when-i-am-very-sad-i-just/)

[Phan Thi Kim Phuc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phan-thi-kim-phuc/)

> [I am praying every day for peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phan-thi-kim-phuc/i-am-praying-every-day-for-peace/)

[Phan Thi Kim Phuc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phan-thi-kim-phuc/)

> [Those bombs have brought me immeasurable pain. Even now, some 40 years later, I am still receiving treatment for burns that cover my arms,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phan-thi-kim-phuc/those-bombs-have-brought-me-immeasurable-pain-even-now-some-40-years/)

[Phan Thi Kim Phuc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phan-thi-kim-phuc/)

> [I want to give back all the love and care that I have received over the years from so many people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phan-thi-kim-phuc/i-want-to-give-back-all-the-love-and-care-that-i-have-received-over/)

[Phan Thi Kim Phuc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phan-thi-kim-phuc/)

> [I got burned by napalm, and I became a victim of war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phan-thi-kim-phuc/i-got-burned-by-napalm-and-i-became-a-victim-of-war/)

[Phan Thi Kim Phuc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phan-thi-kim-phuc/)

> [God used me that day. Even though so much of my body was burned, my feet were not burned, and so I could run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phan-thi-kim-phuc/god-used-me-that-day-even-though-so-much-of-my-body-was-burned-my/)

[Phan Thi Kim Phuc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phan-thi-kim-phuc/)

> [Religion doesn't help me at all. But the relationship between me and God and Jesus, that changed my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phan-thi-kim-phuc/religion-doesn-t-help-me-at-all-but-the-relationship-between-me-and/)

[Phan Thi Kim Phuc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phan-thi-kim-phuc/)

> [As a child, I loved to climb on the tree, like a monkey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phan-thi-kim-phuc/as-a-child-i-loved-to-climb-on-the-tree-like-a-monkey/)

[Phan Thi Kim Phuc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phan-thi-kim-phuc/)

> [I have my foundation, I help the children who are victims of war, and I talk about kids and I help people to understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phan-thi-kim-phuc/i-have-my-foundation-i-help-the-children-who-are-victims-of-war-and-i/)

[Phan Thi Kim Phuc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phan-thi-kim-phuc/)

> [I was really embarrassed. And I asked why they took my picture when I was in such agony, and I'm the girl, in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phan-thi-kim-phuc/i-was-really-embarrassed-and-i-asked-why-they-took-my-picture-when-i/)

[Phan Thi Kim Phuc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phan-thi-kim-phuc/)

> [I have two boys, so I don't want any more child to suffer like me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phan-thi-kim-phuc/i-have-two-boys-so-i-don-t-want-any-more-child-to-suffer-like-me/)

[Phan Thi Kim Phuc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phan-thi-kim-phuc/)

> [For years, I prayed to the gods of Cao Dai for healing and peace. But as one prayer after another went unanswered, it became…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phan-thi-kim-phuc/for-years-i-prayed-to-the-gods-of-cao-dai-for-healing-and-peace-but/)

[Phan Thi Kim Phuc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phan-thi-kim-phuc/)

> [Dear friends: faith and forgiveness is much more powerful than napalm could ever be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phan-thi-kim-phuc/dear-friends-faith-and-forgiveness-is-much-more-powerful-than-napalm/)

[Phan Thi Kim Phuc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phan-thi-kim-phuc/)

> [I hated myself. I hated people who made war. I hated people who were normal. I envied them. I wish I would be normal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phan-thi-kim-phuc/i-hated-myself-i-hated-people-who-made-war-i-hated-people-who-were/)

[Phan Thi Kim Phuc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phan-thi-kim-phuc/)

[Explore all 74 Phan Thi Kim Phuc quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phan-thi-kim-phuc/)

## More Anger quotes

> [“If I let myself think of it the pain and anger were still fresh, adrenalin racing down my limbs to pool, hot and itchy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kylie-ladd/if-i-let-myself-think-of-it-the-pain-and-anger-were-still-fresh/)

[Kylie Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kylie-ladd/)

> [I receive something we might euphemistically call an 'inappropriately hostile' response - that is to say, more than fair criticism or even fair anger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beard/i-receive-something-we-might-euphemistically-call-an-inappropriately/)

[Mary Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beard/)

> [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/)

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

> [Anger is a rough water; if you can canalize it into a water mill, you can benefit from it. Anything bad can be transformed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/anger-is-a-rough-water-if-you-can-canalize-it-into-a-water-mill-you/)

[Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/)

[N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/)

> [“When you feel terribly angry, you're possessed by anger ghost.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/when-you-feel-terribly-angry-you-re-possessed-by-anger-ghost/)

[Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/)

> [“Medical studies have shown that cursing reduces levels of stress and pain. Repressing your anger is not healthy. It's much better to verbalize it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-markus-malloy/medical-studies-have-shown-that-cursing-reduces-levels-of-stress-and/)

[Oliver Markus Malloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-markus-malloy/)

> [My care will be in the heart n not in words My anger will be in Words n not in the Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/my-care-will-be-in-the-heart-n-not-in-words-my-anger-will-be-in-words/)

[Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/)

> [You should be angry. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. It doesn't do anything to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-should-be-angry-you-must-not-be-bitter-bitterness-is-like-cancer/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a rage almost all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-be-a-negro-in-this-country-and-to-be-relatively-conscious-is-to-be/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“God, you had enough time to have been through it three times. You've been through my stuff. I bet you over and let one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/god-you-had-enough-time-to-have-been-through-it-three-times-you-ve/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [The present contains nothing more than the past, and what is found in the effect was already in the cause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-bergson/the-present-contains-nothing-more-than-the-past-and-what-is-found-in/)

[Henri Bergson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-bergson/)

> [Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/depression-is-merely-anger-without-enthusiasm/)

[Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/)

> [I always fight better when my opponent's angry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-haye/i-always-fight-better-when-my-opponent-s-angry/)

[David Haye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-haye/)

> [ “Where there are kashays (anger-pride-deceit-greed), there is worldly life. As long as anger-pride-deceit-greed exist; one is a sansaari \[living a worldly life\] regardless of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/where-there-are-kashays-anger-pride-deceit-greed-there-is-worldly/)

[Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

[Browse all 7,469 Anger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anger/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I wished I died in that attack with my cousin, with my south Vietnamese soldiers. I wish I died at that time so I won't suffer like that anymore... it was so hard for me to carry all that burden with that hatred, with that anger and bitterness.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Phan Thi Kim Phuc"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phan-thi-kim-phuc/i-wished-i-died-in-that-attack-with-my-cousin-with-my-south/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Anger"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phan-thi-kim-phuc/i-wished-i-died-in-that-attack-with-my-cousin-with-my-south/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dc/phan-thi-kim-phuc-9214_anger_i-wished-i-died-in-that-attack-with-my-c_810514.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dc/phan-thi-kim-phuc-9214_anger_i-wished-i-died-in-that-attack-with-my-c_810514.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6dc/phan-thi-kim-phuc-9214_anger_i-wished-i-died-in-that-attack-with-my-c_810514.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I wished I died in that attack with my cousin, with my south Vietnamese soldiers. I wish I died at that time…” — Phan Thi Kim Phuc",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Phan Thi Kim Phuc",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phan-thi-kim-phuc/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I wished I died in that...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phan-thi-kim-phuc/i-wished-i-died-in-that-attack-with-my-cousin-with-my-south/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phan-thi-kim-phuc/i-wished-i-died-in-that-attack-with-my-cousin-with-my-south/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
