Has anyone ever heard of Ernie Plye?

[breg]

I was watching the History Channel this morning before I went to bed, and they had a show on it called "Unsung Heros." The one that I watched the whole way through was about a WWII war corsepondent named Ernie Pyle. It was pretty sad story. But, he was the one who did not stay at base camp, but rather he went out on the front lines and lived with the common trooper. Some of the quotes that they read from his stories were so sad.

Here is a quote from the article "The God****ed Infantry"

In their eyes as they pass is not hatred, not excitement, not despair, not the tonic of their victory - there is just the simple expression of being here as though they had been here doing this forever, and nothing else.

I would like to know if his books are any good, and which ones to read first.


here is another one that I really liked:

There is an agony in your heart and you almost feel ashamed to look at them. They are just guys from Broadway and Main Street, but you wouldn't remember them. They are too far away now. They are too tired. Their world can never be known to you, but if you could see them just once, just for an instant, you would know that no matter how hard people work back home they are not keeping pace with these infantrymen in Tunisia.

I'd like some advice on waht books of his to read. any help would be welcome.

here is a link to some of his articles.

[Vex]

Yes I have heard of Ernie Pyle. I spent 5 years in Okinawa, but I never did visit his memorial.
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From indianahistory.org:

The American campaign against the Japanese on Okinawa still raged when a war correspondent new to the Pacific theater stepped ashore on Ie Shima, a small island just west of Okinawa. Traveling with a group of infantrymen, the reporter was killed by a sniper's machine-gun bullets. Saddened by their loss, the soldiers paid tribute to their fallen friend with a simple plaque reading: "At this spot, the 77th Infantry Division lost a Buddy, Ernie Pyle, 18 April 1945."
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Every year on the anniversary of his death, the Okinawan people on Ie Shima celebrate and remember him. To them, he is still a hero.

[shartley]

[breg]

SHartley, check out the link, it's pretty interesting stuff.

[oldsoldier]

He is arguably one of the best WWII correspondents of his time. I have read some of his work...cant think of what they were off the top of my head though (my library is currently 3000 miles away). Definitely a good read. He didnt elaborate on what was said, or try to paint a pretty picture. From what I recall, he was VERY well respected by the troops (something uncommon, especially among frontline troops), because he chose to live like them. Also, I BELEIVE he is the one that "exposed" kilroy.