Covering Okinawa

In this best-covered of all wars, the press contingent on Okinawa last week was a small army in itself. Scrabbling over 2-to-12-mile wide Okinawa, at risk of life & limb, to give the U.S. all the facts it wanted to know--and a few to spare--were:

P: 71 civilian correspondents including Ernie Pyle, and five men each for the A.P. and U.P. (When the landing proved to be the least bloody the Marines have made, one hulking Marine sergeant wanted to wear Ernie Pyle around his neck as a good-luck charm.)

P: 20 correspondents and photographers for Yank, Leatherneck, other service publications.

P: At least three Navy combat artists, to sketch the fighting.

P: Ten officers and no photographers' mates, to shoot documentary films.

P: Some 90 Army, Navy and Marine combat correspondents, to write "Joe Blow biographies" for hometown newspapers.

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