Posted on Apr 10, 2015
Who are your favorite war correspondents or embedded reporters from ancient times until today?
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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 (Join to see) MSG Andrew White SFC William Farrell SGT (Join to see) 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
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 (Join to see) MSG Andrew White SFC William Farrell SGT (Join to see) 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
Military History
American History
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Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 38
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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.
SGT John " Mac " McConnell SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL SrA Christopher Wright SPC Corbin Sayi SP5 Mark Kuzinski
SGT John " Mac " McConnell SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL SrA Christopher Wright SPC Corbin Sayi SP5 Mark Kuzinski
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SSG Gerhard S.
LTC North is one of my favorites as well. I remember when he was testifying at the Iran/Contra hearings.... his testimony was riveting, and his wit, refreshing.
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LTC Stephen F.
Yes, I met Ollie once or twice. After I learned more about him, I apologized to him for my thoughts about him during Iran Contra when I was more ignorant.
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LTC Stephen F.
Gerhard, thank for reminding me. I wonder how many other "blind" war correspondents there are.
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SFC (Join to see)
Wow....that's great. Have you seen any family heirlooms like the plates from the Civil War?
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LTC Stephen F.
SFC (Join to see), Ernie Pyle was one of favorite authors as a pre-teen . I first read Brave Men and Here is Your War. I was saddened to learn that he died on Okinawa. Homer is certainly a great read his Odyssey and Iliad are classics. I am not sure how much reporting of the Trojan war is accurate but the descriptions of weaponry and how they were employed probably was very accurate.
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Ernie Pyle and Joe Galloway (Viet Nam) I can't leave out Bill Mauldin, although he wasn't really a correspondent.
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LTC Stephen F.
SMSgt Dan Powell, thanks for mentioning Bill Mauldin. While foxhole cartoonists may not be officially war correspondents, those like Bill Mauldin most likely brought the war home to many more people than the traditional war correspondents - especially prior to the internet and the 24 hour news coverage.
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LTC Stephen C.
LTC Stephen F., Bill Mauldin was at odds with General George Patton, who disliked him for depicting soldiers the way he did. He threatened to throw Mauldin in jail if he entered the Third Army (Patton's) area. In their famous 1945 meeting, Patton stated, "I don't know what you think you're trying to do, but the krauts ought to pin a medal on you for helping them mess up discipline for us." SMSgt Dan Powell
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LTC Stephen F.
LTC Stephen C. - thanks for sharing a characteristic response from old blood and guts George Patton who rarely minced words.
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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).
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LTC Stephen F.
CPT Jack Durish I concur. His bulldog tenacity led him through many political defeats until he was elected Prime Minister in 1939. Following after Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, after signing the Munich Accord, uttered "Peace in our time" in September 1938. Winston Churchill is certainly a first class writer and was a powerful speaker.
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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!
He didn't just report it, he lived it!
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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.
SGT John " Mac " McConnell SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL SrA Christopher Wright SPC Corbin Sayi COL Mikel J. Burroughs SP5 Mark Kuzinski
SGT John " Mac " McConnell SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL SrA Christopher Wright SPC Corbin Sayi COL Mikel J. Burroughs SP5 Mark Kuzinski
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PO3 Steven Sherrill
I didn't know that Churchill was a war correspondent. That is interesting. Thanks for sharing that LTC Stephen F.
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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 MeredithMSgt John McGowanMSgt David M.LTC Jeff ShearerSGT Philip RoncariLt Col Jim CoeCWO3 Dennis M.SGT (Join to see)PO3 Bob McCordSgt Albert Castro1SG John MillanSSgt Boyd Herrst TSgt Rodney BidingerSGT Jim ArnoldSFC Randy PurhamCDR (Join to see) MSG Brian Ross SGT Rick Colburn PO3 Phyllis Maynard
FYISGT John MeredithMSgt John McGowanMSgt David M.LTC Jeff ShearerSGT Philip RoncariLt Col Jim CoeCWO3 Dennis M.SGT (Join to see)PO3 Bob McCordSgt Albert Castro1SG John MillanSSgt Boyd Herrst TSgt Rodney BidingerSGT Jim ArnoldSFC Randy PurhamCDR (Join to see) MSG Brian Ross SGT Rick Colburn PO3 Phyllis Maynard
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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.
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LTC Stephen F.
Vietnam Reporter: Joseph L. Galloway
Pleiku-Ia Drang Veterans Collection Texas Tech University
Thank you for responding SSgt Donald Libby and mentioning
1. WWII war correspondent Richard Tregaskis.
Background: "International News Service reporter Richard William Tregaskis landed with the Marines on Guadalcanal on Aug. 7, 1942, and lived with them for the first two months of that campaign.
“His weeks, the weeks he describes from July 26th to September 26th, were the worst weeks, the almost hopeless weeks. They were – the comparison is inescapable – the Gethsemane of Guadalcanal,” read the International News Service editorial postscript to Guadalcanal Diary."
from defensemedianetwork.com/stories/richard-tregaskis-at-guadalcanal-a-war-correspondents-story/
Image: 1942 Richard Tregaskis; Joe Galloway, war reporter
2. Joe Galloway.
"Combat Reporter, UPI (United Press International)
Service: Spring 1965 – Spring 1975
In the early 1960s Joe Galloway was a fresh, young reporter fascinated by accounts of the growing political and social turmoil in Vietnam, so he began writing letters to his editor begging for a transfer to Southeast Asia. If his generation was going to fight a war in Vietnam, Galloway was going to cover it from the frontlines. In the spring of 1965 Galloway got his wish. As the first American ground troops began streaming into the country, UPI transferred him to South Vietnam, and assigned him to cover the blossoming conflict. By November he would be embedded with the command unit of the 1st Cavalry Division in the midst of the first major battle of the Vietnam War – the Ia Drang Valley. He would go on to serve a total of four tours in Vietnam – returning in 1971 to cover Operation Lam Son 719, in 1973 for the release of the POWs, and in 1975 for the fall of Cambodia and, ultimately, South Vietnam. Galloway became one of the most influential reporters of the period and went on to co-author ‘We Were Soldiers Once…And Young’ based on his experience at Ia Drang. Joe Galloway would spend more than 20 years working as a foreign and war correspondent for UPI, causing General H. Norman Schwarzkopf to refer to him as “the finest combat correspondent of our generation.” In 1998 Galloway was awarded a Bronze Star with V for Valor for rescuing wounded soldieries under fire at Ia Drang. He is the only civilian to receive a combat medal from the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War."
From history.com/shows/vietnam-in-hd/cast/joe-galloway
Vietnam Reporter: Joseph L. Galloway
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDBjJc87rlM
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC (Join to see) Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Lt Col Charlie Brown Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj William W. "Bill" Price Maj Marty Hogan SCPO Morris Ramsey SSG John Ross SGT Mark Halmrast Sgt Randy Wilber Sgt John H. SGT Gregory Lawritson CPL Dave Hoover SPC Margaret Higgins SSgt Brian Brakke 1stSgt Eugene Harless CPT Scott Sharon
1. WWII war correspondent Richard Tregaskis.
Background: "International News Service reporter Richard William Tregaskis landed with the Marines on Guadalcanal on Aug. 7, 1942, and lived with them for the first two months of that campaign.
“His weeks, the weeks he describes from July 26th to September 26th, were the worst weeks, the almost hopeless weeks. They were – the comparison is inescapable – the Gethsemane of Guadalcanal,” read the International News Service editorial postscript to Guadalcanal Diary."
from defensemedianetwork.com/stories/richard-tregaskis-at-guadalcanal-a-war-correspondents-story/
Image: 1942 Richard Tregaskis; Joe Galloway, war reporter
2. Joe Galloway.
"Combat Reporter, UPI (United Press International)
Service: Spring 1965 – Spring 1975
In the early 1960s Joe Galloway was a fresh, young reporter fascinated by accounts of the growing political and social turmoil in Vietnam, so he began writing letters to his editor begging for a transfer to Southeast Asia. If his generation was going to fight a war in Vietnam, Galloway was going to cover it from the frontlines. In the spring of 1965 Galloway got his wish. As the first American ground troops began streaming into the country, UPI transferred him to South Vietnam, and assigned him to cover the blossoming conflict. By November he would be embedded with the command unit of the 1st Cavalry Division in the midst of the first major battle of the Vietnam War – the Ia Drang Valley. He would go on to serve a total of four tours in Vietnam – returning in 1971 to cover Operation Lam Son 719, in 1973 for the release of the POWs, and in 1975 for the fall of Cambodia and, ultimately, South Vietnam. Galloway became one of the most influential reporters of the period and went on to co-author ‘We Were Soldiers Once…And Young’ based on his experience at Ia Drang. Joe Galloway would spend more than 20 years working as a foreign and war correspondent for UPI, causing General H. Norman Schwarzkopf to refer to him as “the finest combat correspondent of our generation.” In 1998 Galloway was awarded a Bronze Star with V for Valor for rescuing wounded soldieries under fire at Ia Drang. He is the only civilian to receive a combat medal from the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War."
From history.com/shows/vietnam-in-hd/cast/joe-galloway
Vietnam Reporter: Joseph L. Galloway
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDBjJc87rlM
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC (Join to see) Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Lt Col Charlie Brown Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj William W. "Bill" Price Maj Marty Hogan SCPO Morris Ramsey SSG John Ross SGT Mark Halmrast Sgt Randy Wilber Sgt John H. SGT Gregory Lawritson CPL Dave Hoover SPC Margaret Higgins SSgt Brian Brakke 1stSgt Eugene Harless CPT Scott Sharon
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