WARSAW — With the passing of World War II and Korean War veterans, Vietnam War vets are quickly becoming the eldest generation of military heroes in this nation. Most Vietnam veterans are in their 70s. Largely vilified upon their return from combat half a century ago, “we are just now really getting the respect we …read more.

In honor of those who fought and gave their lives in one of World War II’s most notorious battles, the Invasion of Normandy, four columns written by Ernie Pyle will be shared each week leading up to the 75th anniversary of D-Day on June 6. This is the first of the four columns.

AT THE FRONT LINES IN ITALY, January 10, 1944 — The son of a tenant farming parents in west-central Indiana, Ernie Pyle became history’s greatest war correspondent. When Pyle was killed by a Japanese machine gun bullet on the tiny Pacific island of Ie Shima in 1945, his columns were being delivered to more than 14 million homes according to his New York Times obituary.