Indiana Congressional Delegation Honors Ernie Pyle

Rep. Bucshon – Nick McGee: 202-225-4636, Nick.McGee@mail.house.gov
Sen. Coats – Matt Lahr: 202-224-5623, Matt_Lahr@coats.senate.gov
Sen. Donnelly – Elizabeth Shappell: 202-224-0972, Elizabeth_Shappell@donnelly.senate.gov
Rep. Brooks – Alex Damron, 202-226-5377, Alex.Damron@mail.house.gov
Rep. Carson – Jessica Gail: 202-226-7759, Jessica.Gail@mail.house.gov
Rep. Messer – Liz Hill, 202-225-3021, Liz.Hill@mail.house.gov
Rep. Rokita – Tom Borck, 202-225-5037, Tom.Borck@mail.house.gov
Rep. Stutzman – John Hammond, 202-225-4436, John.Hammond@mail.house.gov
Rep. Visclosky – Celina Weatherwax: 202-225-2461, Celina.Weatherwax@mail.house.gov
Rep. Walorski – Lindsay Jancek, 202-225-3915, Lindsay.Jancek@mail.house.gov
Rep. Todd Young – Trevor Foughty, 202-225-5315, Trevor.Foughty@mail.house.gov

PRESS RELEASE
Indiana Congressional Delegation Honors Ernie Pyle

(WASHINGTON, DC) – On Thursday, the Indiana Congressional Delegation honored the life and legacy of the late Ernie Pyle, Pulitzer Prize winning Hoosier newspaper columnist who was killed on April 18, 1945 covering the life of soldiers during WWII.

U.S. Representative Larry Bucshon, M.D. (R-IN-08):

“Ernie Pyle was truly one of the greatest Hoosiers in the history of our state. He became a household name as he wrote about the trials and tribulations and the honor and dignity of our soldiers in WWII. Through his Pulitzer Prize-winning column, Ernie Pyle brought the hard realities of war into the homes of families worldwide and he became an advocate for the soldier – the guys he rightfully argued wars can’t be won without. Generations of young journalists, especially those who’ve studied in the Indiana University School of Journalism, have greatly benefited from his example and legacy.  As Hoosiers, it is our duty to make sure future generations know Ernie Pyle’s story and I’m proud my colleagues have joined together to recognize the 70^th anniversary of his death.”

U.S. Senator Dan Coats (R-IN):

“Ernie Pyle’s newspaper columns revolutionized how Americans received wartime news and changed the journalism industry forever. Ernie’s reporting revealed not only his personal courage, but the compassion he felt for the common man serving on the frontlines during World War II. His legacy lives on in Indiana and across the United States.”

U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly (D-IN):

“On the 70th anniversary of renowned World War II journalist Ernie Pyle’s death, we pay tribute to a Hoosier who forever impacted American journalism. A native of Dana, Indiana, who studied journalism at Indiana University, Ernie Pyle garnered a national and international following, thanks to his columns that vividly captured the daily sacrifice and heroism of our servicemen fighting in World War II.  His reporting from the battlefield humanized the war for many back home. Ultimately, Ernie Pyle died in the South Pacific doing what he loved: covering the war as an embedded. I am proud to join my colleagues in recognizing a great Hoosier, Ernie Pyle.”

 

U.S. Representative Susan Brooks (R-IN-05):

“Ernie Pyle was a trailblazer whose work brought the most critical events of World War II to life and served to humanize the soldier experience for millions of Americans back home. The standard of quality he set as an embedded reporter still impacts the way journalists gather and convey news to this day. On the 70^th anniversary of his death, we should all take a moment to celebrate the legacy of this tremendous Hoosier.”   

U.S. Representative Andre Carson (D-IN-07):

“Ernie Pyle is a true Hoosier hero.  He was in the foxholes, he was on the front lines. He was a champion of the enlisted men and he told everyone back home about their exploits.”

U.S. Representative Luke Messer (R-IN-06):

“Ernie Pyle was a great Hoosier who had a unique way of putting a human face to one of our world’s greatest conflicts. Very few people told the stories of our American heroes fighting in World War II the way he did.  It’s a privilege to help honor his life and the contributions he made not only to the world of journalism but also to our great state.”

 

U.S. Representative Todd Rokita (R-IN-04):

“Ernie Pyle’s impact on journalism should make every Hoosier proud.  Though he paid the ultimate price reporting on the realities and horrors of war, his timeless writings, and his legacy, will remain.  In the 4th District, U.S. 36 is named in Ernie Pyle’s honor from the town of Danville to the state line.  It continues to remind us of this Hoosier’s remarkable service.”

U.S. Representative Marlin Stutzman (R-IN-03):

 

“Like the stories he bravely told during World War II, the legacy of Ernie Pyle lives on. 70 years after his passing, this Hoosier turned world traveler and reporter continues to inspire generations of journalists.  As the field of media changes, let us remember the integrity and devotion Ernie Pyle gave to his writing and to those he wrote about.” 

U.S. Representative Pete Visclosky (D-IN-01):

“Mr. Ernie Pyle’s journalistic dedication during one of the most perilous times in our country’s history is still alive today.  It lives on in all those who put themselves in harm’s way to capture the brave actions of the men and women in our Armed Forces.”     

 

U.S. Representative Jackie Walorski (R-IN-02):

“Ernie Pyle is an honorable Hoosier who deserves recognition for his contributions not only to our state but our nation. As a former journalist, his devotion to reporting during World War II embodies true Hoosier values and his exceptional work makes him the legend he is today.”

U.S. Representative Todd Young (R-IN-09):

“Ernie Pyle learned his trade as a student at Indiana University, where he wrote and edited for the Indiana Daily Student. Today, IU’s nationally renowned journalism program is built largely on his legacy. But he’s more than just an influential figure for new generations of aspiring journalists; he was one of the most important Hoosiers covering life in pre-war America, and perhaps the most important American covering World War II. Our state and country are both better off for his contributions.” 

BACKGROUND: 

Ernest Taylor Pyle grew up in Dana in Vermillion County, Indiana and was a graduate of Indiana University. Pyle became a household name as a wartime correspondent during World War II. Pyle began his reporting on WWII during the Battle of Britain in 1940 and ultimately traveled to Ie Shima, a small island near Okinawa in the South Pacific, where he was tragically killed by a Japanese machine gunner.

Pyle’s Pulitzer Prize-winning column was carried by over 700 daily or weekly newspapers worldwide. He was known for his focus on the daily strife of infantry soldiers and became an advocate on their behalf.

The Ernie Pyle WWII Museum in Dana, Indiana highlights his life’s writings and his legacy.  At his alma mater Indiana University where he studied journalism and was editor of the Indiana Daily Student, the School of Journalism is housed in “Ernie Pyle Hall” and features a semester-long course dedicated to his work and a scholarship named in his honor.

His full biography can be found here and information on the Ernie Pyle WWII Museum can be found here.