Ie Shima: The Ernie Pyle Memorial and a Local Park

Me at the Pyle Memorial

by Pa Rock
Island Hopper


Our next stop following the visit with Atsuko's wonderful students was the Ernie Pyle Memorial which is actually a marker commemorating the spot where the famous World War II journalist was shot by a Japanese sniper in 1945.  Pyle was having a cigarette and talking to some of the troops involved in the on-going Battle of Okinawa when his life suddenly came to an end.  He was originally buried on Ie Shima, but sometime later his body was relocated to a veteran's cemetery in Hawaii.

A marker at the Pyle Memorial

President Truman was so saddened by Ernie Pyle's death, that he personally announced it to the stunned nation.

Murphy is from Indiana, and he has visited Ernie Pyle's boyhood home which is in the Hoosier State.

By the time we got to the park, Murphy had gotten ill from the motion sickness medicine that he had taken for the ferry ride to Ie Shima, and he spent much of the rest of the day napping in our small rental car.  Valerie and I, however, had a great time playing in the park!

Daniel Murphy, PhD, taking photos at the Ernie Pyle
Memorial

A long shot of the memorial

A local garden next to the Ernie Pyle Memorial

Statuary at the park

Decorative landscaping at the park

It almost looks like the famous town of Bedrock!

Valerie practicing for her Special Forces tryout

Those Navy Seals in Act of Valor ain't got nothing on
this guy!