Happy National Columnists’ Day and Ernie Pyle Remembrance Day! We celebrate on April 18 to honor the accomplishments of Ernie Pyle and all of those who are dedicated to column-writing today.
The National Society of Newspaper Columnists, founded in 1977, created National Columnists’ Day to be celebrated each year on April 18, in memory of columnist Ernie Pyle, who was killed in 1945 during World War II. Pyle was a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and war correspondent, who was best known for his stories about American soldiers.
| Telly Halkias, a writer/correspondent/editor and NSNC Board Secretary, recently shared one of Ernie Pyle’s most famous columns, “The Death of Captain Waskow,” and what it means to him. The column also comes with a recorded version. As a veteran of the first Gulf War, this hits me hard every time I read it, having lost one of my best friends in Iraq just a day or two before he was redeploying home. In an era when we are desperately looking for selfless leaders, my friend was cast in the mold of Captain Waskow, and his troops were devastated when he was killed. There is a reason why this was Ernie Pyle’s most beloved dispatch, and he, too paid with his life eventually, which saw troops worldwide pause in deep respect and gratitude for the authentic way he told their stories. The Death of Captain Waskow: Wartime Columns: Ernie Pyle: Indiana University Feel free to share your own thoughts about Ernie Pyle as well as more on the columns you love and appreciate. |
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