Existing comment:
Ernie Pyle, 1900-1945
During World War II, John Steinbeck noted that there were two conflicts being reported in the press. The one getting the most attention was about grand strategy and generals, and the other was the war of the common soldier. No journalist told that latter story more poignantly than Ernie Pyle. His chronicling of the enlisted man's discomforts, terrors, and heroism touched civilians and GIs alike. By 1944, he was as much a war hero as any combat medal winner.
When Pyle died covering the taking of the Pacific island le Shima, soldiers marked the spot with a sign declaring that they had "lost a buddy".
Jo Davidson, 1944 |