Journalist Ernie Pyle killed
During World War II journalist Ernie Pyle Americas most popular war correspondent is killed by Japanese machine-gun fire on the island of Ie Shima in the Pacific.Pyle born in Dana Indiana first began writing a column for the Scripps-Howard newspaper chain in 1935.Eventually syndicated to some 200 U.S.newspapers Pyles column which related the lives and hopes of typical citizens captured Americas affection.
In 1942 after the United States entered World War II Pyle went overseas as a war correspondent.He covered the North Africa campaign the invasions of Sicily and Italy and on June 7 1944 went ashore at Normandy the day after Allied forces landed.Pyle who always wrote about the experiences of enlisted men rather than the battles they participated in described the D-Day scene It was a lovely day for strolling along the seashore.
Men were sleeping on the sand some of them sleeping forever.Men were floating in the water but they didnt know they were in the water for they were dead.The same year he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished correspondence and in 1945 traveled to the Pacific to cover the war against Japan.On April 18 1945 Ernie Pyle was killed by enemy fire on the island of Ie Shima.
After his death President Harry S.Truman spoke of how Pyle told the story of the American fighting man as the American fighting men wanted it told.Pyle is buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific on the Hawaiian island of Oahu.
