Rationale
Ernie Pyle's descriptive narratives and "every man's" perspective of the war allow students to examine personal traits such as courage and heroism.
Methods
1. Webster's Dictionary defines a hero as someone "admired for his or her courage, nobility or exploits, especially in war". Ask students how they would define "courage"? Who are THEIR heroes and what makes them important ? What about other members of their family or community - who do they identify as heroes? We all know that you do not need to be a movie star or sports figure or even a soldier to be a hero - in fact, a hero can be anyone! Encourage students to talk about "every day" acts of courage or stories that don't often make the headlines. What other values define a hero (for example, an ability to inspire and motivate others, perseverance against all odds, patience, self sacrifice, generosity).
Here is a website from Greenfield Elementary in Virginia in which students from a Grade 4 art class drew pictures and wrote brief stories about their heroes. Who would your students draw/write about/sing about?
2. Provide students with a biography of Ernie Pyle and selections from his coverage of campaigns from Europe, Africa and the Pacific; compilations appear in book form in Ernie Pyle In England (1941), Here is Your War (1943) Last Chapter (1946) and in the motion picture G.I.Joe (1945). In his later columns, Pyle told readers that he ("the old man") was returning home to the safety of New Mexico because he could not take the strain of war any longer. Yet, after a brief holiday, he enlisted and was sent to the Pacific theater. The locale may have changed, but the dangers were the same.
As the Indiana Historical Society observes, despite the warmth he felt for the average G.I., Ernie Pyle had no illusions about the dangers involved with his job. He once wrote a friend that he tried "not to take any foolish chances, but there's just no way to play it completely safe and still do your job." Weary from his work in Europe, Pyle grudgingly accepted what was to be his last assignment, covering the action in the Pacific with the Navy and Marines. He rationalized his acceptance, noting, "What can a guy do? I know millions of others who are reluctant too, and they can't even get home." Pyle was killed by machine gun fire on April 18th, 1945, on the island of Ie Shima .
Why is Pyle considered to be a hero? Ask students to summarize their ideas in paragraph form to support this simple claim: "Ernie Pyle was a hero because he faced danger rather than turning away from risk."
How did people on the homefront in America demonstrate heroism? Can your students identify "everyday" acts of heroism during the war that involved self sacrifice, perserverance and leadership?
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