Exploding bombs frequently caused so much vibration of photo enlargers that prints blurred and had to be remade
October 1, 2012 8:07 PM Subscribe
The Pacific War Photographs of Pfc Glenn W. Eve — "In the summer of 1942, the U.S. Army called up a skinny California boy barely out of his teens. But at 5’9’’ and 125 pounds, Private Glenn W. Eve was deemed unfit for combat.
He might have spent the duration of World War II at a desk, except that he had field skills the Army needed – he was a gifted artist, draftsman and photographer who'd spent the previous four years working for the Walt Disney Co.
In July 1944, they promoted him to private first class (Pfc) and assigned him to the Signal Photo Corps, bound for the Pacific to document the war. This is his collection, never before published. All comments in quotes are Pfc Eve's, written on the back of the photo."
Very nice find. Thanks for posting!
posted by insulglass at 8:38 PM on October 1, 2012
posted by insulglass at 8:38 PM on October 1, 2012
It a good thing Eve wasn't in the Navy.
posted by Monday, stony Monday at 8:46 PM on October 1, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by Monday, stony Monday at 8:46 PM on October 1, 2012 [2 favorites]
It a good thing Eve wasn't in the Navy.
If he was in the Navy he'd know better. Still, excellent and interesting photos.
posted by Mojojojo at 9:22 PM on October 1, 2012
If he was in the Navy he'd know better. Still, excellent and interesting photos.
posted by Mojojojo at 9:22 PM on October 1, 2012
I guess no one understood the Yama in Fujiyama then either. Mt Fuji Mountain?
posted by blue_beetle at 9:25 PM on October 1, 2012
posted by blue_beetle at 9:25 PM on October 1, 2012
The comments section at http://pacificwarphotos.com/uss-ernie-pyle/ is quite poignant. This is an excellent post.
Maybe the fact that this was put together by his 50-ish-yo daughter might lead one to forgive the minor lapses in detail and merely appreciate photographers obviously remarkable work, but the typical pack of fuckwits who don't bother to even read a fraction of the links rush to post "ah-HA! I found a trivial detail to quibble with in this post! I WIN THE MEFI GAME!".
posted by kjs3 at 10:03 PM on October 1, 2012 [4 favorites]
Maybe the fact that this was put together by his 50-ish-yo daughter might lead one to forgive the minor lapses in detail and merely appreciate photographers obviously remarkable work, but the typical pack of fuckwits who don't bother to even read a fraction of the links rush to post "ah-HA! I found a trivial detail to quibble with in this post! I WIN THE MEFI GAME!".
posted by kjs3 at 10:03 PM on October 1, 2012 [4 favorites]
Wow, the comments on the USS Ernie Pyle page are pretty amazing. I feel like I'm missing some obvious background to comments like this:
Sylvia June 20, 2011 at 10:55 am
1947 ,we sailed from Antwerp Belgium late at night on the Ernie Pyle, we ran into a severe storm and were strapped to our bunks. I shared a room with two other women who’s names I’m sorry to say can’t recall;. But the worst time we exsperienced happened only miles away from NY. We could not sail and lay in wait untill things calmed down. The good news was that a lttle boy was born that night whom they named after the Ernie pyle
Why were so many civilians (or so it seems) sailing to the US on the Ernie Pyle right after the war? In another comment, it seems as though perhaps Holocaust survivors were being taken to the US on this ship. Another comment mentions that they were a "quota". Is that a refugee quota?
Anyway. Cool post, thanks!
posted by thehmsbeagle at 10:10 PM on October 1, 2012
Sylvia June 20, 2011 at 10:55 am
1947 ,we sailed from Antwerp Belgium late at night on the Ernie Pyle, we ran into a severe storm and were strapped to our bunks. I shared a room with two other women who’s names I’m sorry to say can’t recall;. But the worst time we exsperienced happened only miles away from NY. We could not sail and lay in wait untill things calmed down. The good news was that a lttle boy was born that night whom they named after the Ernie pyle
Why were so many civilians (or so it seems) sailing to the US on the Ernie Pyle right after the war? In another comment, it seems as though perhaps Holocaust survivors were being taken to the US on this ship. Another comment mentions that they were a "quota". Is that a refugee quota?
Anyway. Cool post, thanks!
posted by thehmsbeagle at 10:10 PM on October 1, 2012
@thehmsbeagle: Many of the posts referenced "DP Camps" where DP == Displaced Persons. So, yes, there were large numbers of people, Holocaust survivors as well as not, who were looking to get out of bombed out Europe for the USA. You'll note the number of comments that essentially said "we got out because we had some more or less close relation born in the US"; the "quota" was weighted heavily toward folks who had family here.
posted by kjs3 at 10:16 PM on October 1, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by kjs3 at 10:16 PM on October 1, 2012 [2 favorites]
Holy fuck Hiroshima.
posted by univac at 10:35 PM on October 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by univac at 10:35 PM on October 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
Why were so many civilians (or so it seems) sailing to the US on the Ernie Pyle right after the war?
There may be some confusion, it looks like there were two different ships. The USS Ernie Pyle and the S.S. Ernie Pyle. Although it does look similar (except for the colour).
posted by unliteral at 11:02 PM on October 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
There may be some confusion, it looks like there were two different ships. The USS Ernie Pyle and the S.S. Ernie Pyle. Although it does look similar (except for the colour).
posted by unliteral at 11:02 PM on October 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
unliteral, I'm virtually certain those are the same ship in wartime and civilian livery. It was just one ship, the SS Ernie Pyle (there was no "USS Ernie Pyle"), and it was a merchant mariner built by the Maritime Commission as a troop transport. It looks to have been sold eventually to the United States Lines. There's plenty out there -- including passenger manifests prized by genealogists -- showing its use for DPs, such as this photo at the Holocaust Museum.
I'm wondering why Eve's photo has it with an "L" on the smokestack (note that the photo is flipped horizontally).
posted by dhartung at 11:47 PM on October 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
I'm wondering why Eve's photo has it with an "L" on the smokestack (note that the photo is flipped horizontally).
posted by dhartung at 11:47 PM on October 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
Your right dhartung, a lot of sources for USS Ernie Pyle seem to lead back to the Eve site. Here's the announcement from Trueman concerning the refugees and the ships to be sent.
posted by unliteral at 8:25 PM on October 2, 2012
posted by unliteral at 8:25 PM on October 2, 2012
Edward Kennedy: He defied political censors in WWII – let's honor him
posted by homunculus at 3:07 PM on October 7, 2012
posted by homunculus at 3:07 PM on October 7, 2012
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posted by SPrintF at 8:20 PM on October 1, 2012