Finding Ernie Pyle

 This blog will finish out the final few days of our Turkey Run stay.  Every day except Wednesday, we went to one of the three festival towns.  We would usually leave the camp site around 10:00 a.m. and stay at the festival until 1:30 or two.  Of course, we always ate lunch there!  With the exception of Tuesday, it was beautiful weather.  Tuesday was cloudy with a brisk wind blowing but no rain so we were able to enjoy our time there.  We had been seeing signs all around the area advertising the Ernie Pyle Museum in Dana, Indiana.  Every year we drive by the own of Dana and there is a sign about the museum but we never took the time to visit.  This year we decided to change that and go to the museum.

On Wednesday, we drove to Montezuma which is a small town on the Wabash River.   They have a small area of festival related booths but since we have been attending, we have never stopped.  This year we did stop and as per our routine, ate lunch there.  One of their church groups sells crullers which are sweet, deep-fried pastry made by rolling out dough, cutting into strips, deep-frying them, and coating them with sugar....delicious!  Definitely not on my diet but they were delicious!

Finally, after 18 years of driving by Dana, Indiana, without stopping, we stopped!  It was a stop well-worth it.  Ernie Pyle was a well-known newspaper journalist and war correspondent who is best known for his stories about the ordinary American soldier.  Pyle lived among the US serviceman and was free to interview anyone he wanted.  His columns began  with the growing conflict in Europe in 1940; followed the war in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy; he landed with the troops at Omaha Beach in Normandy; and finally in 1945 headed for the Pacific theater where he would be shot by Japanese machine gun.  He proposed that soldiers in combat should get "fight pay," and in 1944 a law known as the Ernie Pyle bill was passed that authorized 50 percent extra pay for combat service.  At the museum, there was several examples of his columns.  One that was extremely powerful was "The Death of Captain Waskow."  The column is an example of his writing style and sensitivity to the life of the US Serviceman. The column can be found with a Google search and is worth the time to read.

This mural on the building was the original advertisement for the Ernie Pyle Museum.  Up until a  few years ago, the museum was under the management of the State of Indiana but cost-cutting caused the state to withdraw management.  Then "Friends of Ernie Pyle" was formed and began a challenging plan to expand and tell his story in a new way.

The museum complex consists of his birth home and two Quonset huts which contains displays relating to Ernie Pyle and WW II.

Ernie's father was a tenant farmer who rented this house from his employer.  The home was originally located in the countryside southwest of Dana and was moved to this location for the museum.

The home was furnished like it would have been in the early 1900's but a few original pieces are on display like this gun that belonged to Ernie's father.

This was Ernie's desk.  He knew at an early age that he did not want to be a farmer.  His interests

 were in writing.  In my imagination, I can see him sitting at this desk in his early days of writing.

The clock on the mantle belonged to his family

This was his father's chair.

A portrait of his dad and mom.  Ernie was an only child.

This was his rocking horse.  Looks good for being over 100 years old.

A picture of Ernie riding his rocking horse.

This is a replica of the memorial the soldiers he wrote about put up to remember the spot where he was killed.

The main street of Dana, Indiana.

A permanent memorial is located on the island of Ie Shima (northwest of Okinawa)

 where Ernie was shot.  This is a replica located at the Ernie Pyle Rest Area located on US Highway 36 in Indiana.  It was a small museum but it did a good job of telling the Ernie Pyle story.  I am thankful the "Friends of Ernie Pyle" have the mission to not let his name be forgotten.  It was said at the museum that because of his column many families of servicemen were able to follow their soldier.  At that time, communication was limited to "V-mail" where some of the words could be blacked out if it was deemed helpful to the enemy.

A bonus was seeing the Wienermobile at the Rockville grocery store.

Old and new means of transportation share the road

We drove more very dusty roads.

After two weeks of driving dusty rural roads, Carol could take it no more.  A visit to a car wash was necessary.

Finally, the last few days, the trees are beginning to turn.

Sunday, our last day and as per tradition, we had breakfast at the Turkey Run Lodge.  When we got back to camp, we packed up and hit the road about 10:00 EDT.    We pulled into the driveway at 11:15 an I immediately began to unpack and do laundry.  It had been a good two weeks.  We were able to relax and rest.  Some afternoons after we had been to the festival, we would sit outside and enjoy the mild weather in God's world.  We were able to let the quiet and calm of nature soothe our hearts and souls.  The last few weeks we have watched Carol's brother suffer with cancer and finally pass away on Thursday before we left on Sunday.  He was a special brother who was present at many important times in our lives.  We will miss him.