Death Photo Of War Reporter Pyle Found

[conlor]

The figure in the photograph is clad in Army fatigues, boots and helmet, lying on his back in peaceful repose, folded hands holding a military cap. Except for a thin trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth, he could be asleep.


But he is not asleep; he is dead. And this is not just another fallen GI; it is Ernie Pyle, the most celebrated war correspondent of World War II.

As far as can be determined, the photograph has never been published. Sixty-three years after Pyle was killed by the Japanese, it has surfaced — surprising historians, reminding a forgetful world of a humble correspondent who artfully and ardently told the story of a war from the foxholes.

"It's a striking and painful image, but Ernie Pyle wanted people to see and understand the sacrifices that soldiers had to make, so it's fitting, in a way, that this photo of his own death ... drives home the reality and the finality of that sacrifice," said James E. Tobin, a professor at Miami University of Ohio.

Tobin, author of a 1997 biography, "Ernie Pyle's War," and Owen V. Johnson, an Indiana University professor who collects Pyle-related correspondence, said they had never seen the photo. The negative is long lost, and only a few prints are known to exist.

"When I think about the real treasures of American history that we have," says Mark Foynes, director of the Wright Museum of World War II in Wolfeboro, N.H., "this picture is definitely in the ballpark."



Death photo of war reporter Pyle found - Yahoo! News

[Snowden]

Thanks for putting this in, Connie. I remember Ernie Pyle very well. He was right there in the foxholes, right in the middle of the battles, and when you heard the news from him, you could tell it was absolutely authentic. He saw no need for embellishments and sought no publicity for himself, but because of his courage and honesty, he should always be remembered for what he did and how he went about it.

The newsmen of today should use such as Ernie Pyle as their role models; never lie or stretch the truth. Tell it like it is; just tell it like it is! To follow a political agenda is unforgivable.

[DIRTY-PSG]

[b]Definately an interesting photo! Something I've always wondered about. Thanks for the post!

[redtanker]

He did great work which will be remembered for years thanx

[conlor]

For years, I thought he was still living, or lived to a ripe old age.

(You can click on the picture to enlarge it and see an article.)

[Snowden]

He had really no interest in surviving the war, Connie, or at least that's what was said at the time. He was sort of like Pattan in that; a different reason, no doubt, but he seemed to want to stop short of coming back to a civilian life. He pyt everything he had into doing that job and doing it right.

[jjvman]

He probably would not have caved in to the pressures of modern journalists to provide the proper sound bites for the TV/Radio bosses or the military spin doctors. Good post, Connie.