What is a hero? That depends largely on when in life you select the ruler. When I was a youngster my hero was Roy Rogers. Later when my benchmarks changed Audie Murphy took top billing. There is an endless array of faceless names that have worn the name “hero.” Alvin York, Eddie Rickenbacker, Matt Urban, just to name a very few. Some have even been immortalized in granite, George Washington, Abe Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and Teddy Roosevelt, for instance. Then there are the hero’s that beg to not wear that title but nevertheless are deserving of our homage, names like Ernie Pyle.

Dana, Indiana a dot on that state map is the home of Ernie Pyle. If you are under 50 years of age the name Ernie Pyle may mean nothing to you. If you live in Dana, it means everything. This town although non-descript, is a landmark of historical significance, namely the Ernie Pyle State Historical Site.
Ernie Pyle was America's most beloved World War II newspaper correspondent. He was one of a kind reporter who documented the progress of the war through the actions of the men who fought the war. He didn't write about battles per se, but rather documented events with the human element in mind. He personalized the war for the folks back home in the USA.
His writings were compiled up front where the action was taking place. You could say he was one of the first embedded war correspondents. His columns were syndicated nationwide. He met an untimely death during a combat operation on a small Pacific Island near Okinawa, Ie Shima. He was killed by a Japanese sniper on 18 April 1945, at the age of forty five.
Through the efforts of the State of Indiana, the Indiana American Legion, Eli Lilley Foundation, Scripps Howard Foundation, and many volunteers, the Ernie Museum has come to life in two Quonset Huts, and now displays all of Ernie Pyle's memorabilia and all his writings. If you are not a veteran and not old enough to remember World War II, you may want to read "Ernie's War" a collection of his dispatches in book form.

Bronze, granite and stone are the usual medium for our hero's
yet somehow it seems so fitting that Ernie Pyle
is remembered by his buddies on a simple marker
on some lonely, distant island, so far from home
but so close to the hearts of those he touched.

P.S.
That sign still stands as it has for over 50 years,
often renewed by those vets on regular pilgrimages.
After all, hero's deserve our respect, devotion and homage.
We salute you, Ernie, a brother in arms.

---

Back To Tune In

[ Main Page | Site Map ]