Who are your favorite war correspondents or embedded reporters from ancient times until today?

2015-04-10T12:06:15-04:00

When I was a teenager I was introduced to the writings of Ernie Pyle beginning with Brave Men which was a journal of life among soldiers in the Italian campaign. He would have been called an embedded reporter in todays language. I have read memoirs of warriors who fought in the Napoleonic Wars, US Civil War, WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam. I understand there were chroniclers during the Crusades and among the ancients. I do not know if Josephus, Taciturn, Seneca or any of the other "historians" actually fought or if they limited their work to learning from those who did and survived.

In modern times some of the people who covered the battles with the soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen were killed in battle.

Ernest "Ernie" Taylor Pyle was killed on April 18, 1945, Iejima, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. He was working on what would be his last book that was posthumously titled Last Chapter which was focused on the lives of soldiers and marines in the Pacific battles and on board the ships in preparation for those battles.

Images: 1945-04-18 Ernie Pyle's body; Brave Men by Ernie Pyle; Last Chapter by Ernie Pyle

Ernie Pyle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXdWpgc5A68

FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC Orlando Illi Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj William W. "Bill" Price CPT Jack Durish Capt Tom Brown CMSgt Private RallyPoint Member MSG Andrew White SFC William Farrell SGT Private RallyPoint Member Sgt Albert Castro SSG David Andrews Sgt Randy Wilber Sgt John H. SGT Charles H. Hawes SGT Mark Halmrast SPC Margaret Higgins PO1 William "Chip" Nagel

Ernie Pyle

Response by SSG Gerhard S. made Apr 10 at 2015 12:09 PM

2015-04-10T12:09:20-04:00

Homer

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Apr 10 at 2015 12:09 PM

2015-04-10T12:09:53-04:00

My favorite war correspondent from WWII is Ernie Pyle and his book Brave Men. My favorite recent current war correspondent would be either Michael Yon or Ollie North.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 10 at 2015 12:23 PM

2015-04-10T12:23:19-04:00

From the ones I met, I would have to say Lara Logan hands down. Brave, beautiful, courageous, smart lady.

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Apr 10 at 2015 3:38 PM

2015-04-10T15:38:46-04:00

For the Spanish Civil War my favorite war correspondent is Ernest Hemmingway. I was interested to learn that Kim Philby was a British war correspondent in the Spanish civil war - he was a double agent of Britain and the Soviet Union who died in Russia after being "outed."

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Apr 10 at 2015 3:50 PM

2015-04-10T15:50:52-04:00

My favorite war correspondent for the Crimean War is William Howard Russell. The British war correspondent. I would be curious about the Russian war correspondents in Czarist Russia at that time.
FYISGT John Meredith MSgt John McGowan MSgt David M.LTC Jeff Shearer SGT Philip Roncari Lt Col Jim Coe CWO3 Dennis M.SGT Private RallyPoint MemberPO3 Bob McCordSgt Albert Castro1SG John MillanSSgt Boyd Herrst TSgt Rodney Bidinger SGT Jim Arnold SFC Randy Purham CDR Private RallyPoint Member MSG Brian Ross SGT Rick Colburn PO3 Phyllis Maynard

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Apr 10 at 2015 3:52 PM

2015-04-10T15:52:58-04:00

For WWI, I would vote for Floyd Phillips Gibbons from the Chicago Tribune as the best War correspondent from the US. I would be interested in learning about British or German war correspondents from that time.
FYI Maj Robert Thornton CPT Scott Sharon SFC Greg Bruorton SFC Michael Young 1stSgt Eugene Harless MSgt Ken "Airsoldier" Collins-Hardy 1SG Carl McAndrews SPC Douglas Bolton SSG David Andrews Sgt John H. SGT Mark Halmrast Cynthia Croft Sgt Vance Bonds PO1 H Gene Lawrence SGT Brent Scott PO3 Steven Sherrill LTC Private RallyPoint Member

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Apr 10 at 2015 4:04 PM

2015-04-10T16:04:57-04:00

For Vietnam I have a tougher time choosing a favorite war correspondent. Walter Cronkite was know for generally unbiased news reporting but he tended to be remote. It seems that some of the more famous war correspondents like David Halberstam received much of their information from individuals who turned out to be North Vietnamese agents. Not surprising to me, as somebody who lived through the period and saw how the media generally supported the antiwar movement and in rare cases North Vietnam.

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Apr 10 at 2015 4:18 PM

2015-04-10T16:18:57-04:00

I enjoyed reading Winston Churchill's writings and listening to several of his speeches. I was interested to learn that he was a British war correspondent during the Boer War.

Response by PO3 Steven Sherrill made Apr 10 at 2015 4:23 PM

2015-04-10T16:23:02-04:00

I am going with Wolf Blitzer because of the name alone.

Response by PO1 Chris Crawley made Apr 11 at 2015 10:18 PM

2015-04-11T22:18:50-04:00

Joe Galloway at Ia Drang

Response by SPC Edward Tapper made Apr 13 at 2015 1:45 AM

2015-04-13T01:45:29-04:00

Joseph "Joe" Lee Galloway. He was a photo-journalist and pretty much a concientous objector. Did not want any weapons, but ended up fighting for his life and survival. Served with Col Hal Moore and 1SGT Plumly in the Ia Drang Valley of Vietnam. Co-author of "We Were Soldiers, Once ... and Young: Ia Drang.

He didn't just report it, he lived it!

Response by SMSgt Dan Powell made Apr 16 at 2015 5:21 PM

2015-04-16T17:21:54-04:00

Ernie Pyle and Joe Galloway (Viet Nam) I can't leave out Bill Mauldin, although he wasn't really a correspondent.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 31 at 2015 7:18 PM

2015-05-31T19:18:35-04:00

Ernie Pyle, Homer, Matthew Brady

Response by CH (MAJ) William Beaver made May 31 at 2015 8:39 PM

2015-05-31T20:39:15-04:00

Josephus

Response by SPC Charles Brown made May 31 at 2015 8:40 PM

2015-05-31T20:40:58-04:00

I have to go with Ernie Pyle.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 1 at 2015 10:40 AM

2015-06-01T10:40:51-04:00

Xenophon,
~400BC Joined as a mercenary Cadet, left as a General.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Jun 1 at 2015 11:53 AM

2015-06-01T11:53:29-04:00

Winston Churchill. Yes, that Winston Churchill. He was embedded with the British Army during the Boer War in South Africa and was captured because, after helping clear the tracks so an ambushed armored train could proceed and helping evacuate wounded, he returned to the scene of the action and was captured. The Boers refused to acknowledge his status as a correspondent because of his actions and he was forced to escape. These actions led to his fame and popularity which he ultimately used to become a member of Parliament and rise to lead the free world in the battle against the Nazis. BTW, his reporting was legendary (he was a helluva writer as well as a helluva speaker - his books about battles he had either witnessed or participated in helped shape foreign policy and public opinion).

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 1 at 2015 3:51 PM

2015-06-01T15:51:08-04:00

Geraldo Rivera on account of his moustache.

If in doubt read this polictico article.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0312/74405.html

Top 5 legendary Geraldo incidents

POLITICO lists five other notable moments from the journalist’s career.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 26 at 2015 6:09 PM

2015-10-26T18:09:25-04:00

Joe Galliway, hands down!!!

Response by LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow made Oct 26 at 2015 7:07 PM

2015-10-26T19:07:30-04:00

I'm of the Christian Amanpour era...

Response by SPC Christopher Perrien made Oct 27 at 2015 11:25 AM

2015-10-27T11:25:04-04:00

WWII- Frank Capra, Bill Maudlin, and John Ford

Response by SSG James Yellis made Oct 27 at 2015 12:47 PM

2015-10-27T12:47:05-04:00

Erni pyle, Matthew Brady and Joey galloway

Response by COL Ted Mc made Oct 28 at 2015 2:50 PM

2015-10-28T14:50:01-04:00

LTC Stephen F. Ernie Pyle, Bill Mauldin (captured the spirit of the fighting man better than anyone else), and Lorne Green (simply because "The Voice of Doom" was such a catchy tag to hang on a reporter).

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 30 at 2015 6:01 PM

2015-10-30T18:01:01-04:00

I think Julius Caesar would be the best example of that, Sir.

Response by SGT John " Mac " McConnell made Mar 23 at 2016 9:11 PM

2016-03-23T21:11:32-04:00

I don't know LTC Stephen F. The only one one that come to the forefront is Walter Cronkite.

Response by SPC Corbin Sayi made Mar 23 at 2016 9:18 PM

2016-03-23T21:18:29-04:00

Marco Polo!

Although I have to be honest, my interest in him was only sparked by the recent Netflix original series "Marco Polo," mostly a show about Kublai Khan than Marco Polo.

Response by SGT John " Mac " McConnell made Mar 23 at 2016 9:38 PM

2016-03-23T21:38:02-04:00

Although he wasn't a war correspondent . He was a cartoonist who conveyed his messages through his character's. I know Stars and Stripes loved his work. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Mauldin. LTC Stephen F. .

Bill Mauldin. - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Response by SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL made Mar 23 at 2016 9:38 PM

2016-03-23T21:38:08-04:00

LTC Stephen F. I like Walter Cronkite, one of the best to ever do it in my opinion.
http://www.biography.com/people/walter-cronkite-9262057
Walter Cronkite helped launch the CBS Evening News in 1962 and served as its news anchor until his retirement in 1981. The hallmarks of his style were honesty, impartiality and level-headedness, and “And that's the way it is” was his jaunty nightly sign-off. Identified in public opinion polls as the man Americans most trusted, he provided a voice of reason during the Vietnam and Watergate eras

Response by SSG Leo Bell made Mar 23 at 2016 9:55 PM

2016-03-23T21:55:42-04:00

I know when I was younger I always heard about the correspondents from the Vietnam war. Then while I was in you heard about almost everything going on in Iraq on the news. Sometimes I think having correspondent in the wars on the front lines gives stuff away. The bad guys watch the news just like we do.

Response by LTC Stephen C. made Mar 23 at 2016 10:26 PM

2016-03-23T22:26:20-04:00

Ernie Pyle is my guy for WWII, LTC Stephen F.. Here's a photo of my father, LTJG Jack Curlee (at right), taken at the Ernie Pyle Memorial on the island of Ie Shima (Iejima) northwest of Okinawa Island. The inscription reads simply: "AT THIS SPOT THE 77th INFANTRY DIVISION LOST A BUDDY ERNIE PYLE 18 APRIL 1945." Photo was taken between 7AUG45 and 16AUG45.

Response by LTC Stephan Porter made Aug 23 at 2018 6:05 PM

2018-08-23T18:05:58-04:00

I concur with those mentioned already!

Response by Sgt Randy Wilber made Aug 23 at 2018 7:00 PM

2018-08-23T19:00:24-04:00

I liked Ollie North

Response by Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen made Aug 23 at 2018 7:48 PM

2018-08-23T19:48:13-04:00

Can't honestly say I've ever thought about that. Guess I'd say Ernie Pyle and Bob Woodruff.

Response by SPC Margaret Higgins made Aug 23 at 2018 10:09 PM

2018-08-23T22:09:08-04:00

Walter Cronkite: HANDS DOWN! Also, Steve, is/was Peter Jennings a War Correspondent? LTC Stephen F.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 24 at 2018 1:43 PM

2018-08-24T13:43:43-04:00

Sebastian Junger and Joe Galloway

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 24 at 2018 1:44 PM

2018-08-24T13:44:57-04:00

And let us not forget the real MVP..

Response by SSgt Donald Libby made Aug 24 at 2018 3:31 PM

2018-08-24T15:31:34-04:00

LTC Stephen F. Ricard Tregaskis. I've read his Guadalcanal Diary a couple of times over the years and saw a documentary on him. He ranks up there with Ernie Pyle with me. For a war correspondent during my time it has to be Joe Galloway.

Response by CPL Dave Hoover made Aug 24 at 2018 7:06 PM

2018-08-24T19:06:53-04:00

LTC Stephen F. don't have one, terribly dislike media imbed with troops.