Ernie Pyle
Ernie Pyle
Ernest Taylor Pylewas a Pulitzer Prize–winning American journalist. As a roving correspondent for the Scripps-Howard newspaper chain, he earned wide acclaim for his accounts of ordinary people in rural America, and later, of ordinary American soldiers during World War II. His syndicated column ran in more than 300 newspapers nationwide...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionJournalist
Date of Birth3 August 1900
CountryUnited States of America
military war believe
Marines have a cynical approach to war. They believe in three things; liberty, payday and that when two Marines are together in a fight, one is being wasted. Being a minority group militarily, they are proud and sensitive in their dealings with other military organizations. A Marine's concept of a perfect battle is to have other Marines on the right and left flanks, Marine aircraft overhead and Marine artillery and naval gunfire backing them up.
flames fire break-out
The closest fires were near enough for us to hear the crackling flames and the yells of firemen. Little fires grew into big ones even as we watched. Big ones died down under the firemen's valor only to break out again later.
peace hurt confused
I've been immersed in it too long. My spirit is wobbly and my mind is confused. The hurt has become too great.
two differences world
For a lifetime I had bathed with becoming regularity, and thought the world would come to an end unless I changed my socks every day. But in Africa I sometimes went without a bath for two months, and I went two weeks at a time without even changing my socks. Oddly enough, it didn't seem to make much difference.
two people understanding
Thoughts are wonderful things, that they can bring two people, so far apart, into harmony and understanding for even a little while.
soldier battle
Say what you will, nothing can make a complete soldier except battle experience.
pilots alive world
Somebody said that carrier pilots were the best in the world, and they must be or there wouldn't be any of them left alive.
struggle thinking sick
I've really been sick with this cold, but I think I might have kept the columns going anyhow except I was just so low in spirit, I didn't have the will to struggle against them when my deadline was so close and I felt so lousy.
military artillery
Our artillery... The Germans feared it almost more than anything we had.
spring fighting house
I was away from the front lines for a while this spring, living with other troops, and considerable fighting took place while I was gone. When I got ready to return to my old friends at the front I wondered if I would sense any change in them.
dark night curves
Someday when peace has returned to this odd world I want to come to London again and stand on a certain balcony on a moonlit night and look down upon the peaceful silver curve of the Thames with its dark bridges.
night fire london
It was a night when London was ringed and stabbed with fire.
dark bridges shadow
Below us the Thames grew lighter, and all around below were the shadows - the dark shadows of buildings and bridges that formed the base of this dreadful masterpiece.
military war writing
But to the fighting soldier that phase of the war is behind. It was left behind after his first battle. His blood is up. He is fighting for his life, and killing now for him is as much a profession as writing is for me.