The Pittsburgh Press (May 6, 1944)
Editorial: ‘Ordinary guy – extraordinary touch’
From The Fort Hamilton Post
The G.I.’s newspaperman – Ernie Pyle – is doing a great job. Day after day he is simply and forcefully telling the American public what the fighting soldier says… thinks… believes.
Years ago, Ernie used to write about average men and women in average towns all over the United States. His style was always direct and refreshingly clear. It was homely without being naïve. It had humor without a trace of cynicism. That style makes his war reporting the best we have today…
Unlike many war correspondents, he has gone right out with the men who were doing the fighting. He has written about what it’s like to lie in a shell hole for days, how a mortar crew feels after hours of raining hell from enemy guns, what a soldier thinks about when his pal has been knocked off by a landmine.
He is an ordinary guy with an extraordinary touch.
Civilians and soldiers in this country depend on Ernie to give them true pictures of the war from the enlisted man’s viewpoint. His column is syndicated in hundreds of newspapers. His book, Here Is Your War, is a leading bestseller.
Recently, Ernie launched a campaign to give the doughboy “fight pay” comparable to the Air Corps’ “flight pay.” It was taken up immediately by members of Congress. Sensible people everywhere are hoping it will become part of Army regulations.
Ernie Pyle brings honor and distinction to the newspapermen’s craft… as he brings truth and enlightenment to America.