#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran Ralph Reeves Pyle Jr.

Ralph Reeves Pyle Jr. was born in Ohio in May 1925. Following high school graduation, he was drafted into the Army for World War II. He was sent to Fort Thomas, Kentucky, and Camp Haan, California, for training. He trained as an anti-aircraft gunner and on how to identify aircraft. In 1945, during the last year of World War II, Pyle was stationed in Oahu, Hawaii.

After World War II, Pyle joined the Army reserves and took up photography as a hobby. In 1950, he was sent to Korea for the beginning of the Korean War.

In Korea, Pyle transferred to the 51^st Signal Battalion, where he would put his photography skills to use. One of his first assignments on peninsula was to photograph missions operating out of a base near of Pyongyang. However, the unit was quickly forced to retreat to Seoul when China invaded from the north.

Pyle soon started shooting aerial photography on surveillance missions. During this time, he was stationed in Ui Jong Bu, made famous in the TV series “M.A.S.H.” For his work on flight missions, Pyle was awarded the Bronze Star. Throughout his time overseas, he photographed some of the most significant moments and battles of the war, including peace talks between high ranking U.S. military officials and the North Koreans. He returned to the states in November 1951, and was discharged from service.

For the remainder of his post-service career, Pyle lived out his passion for photography. Among his most significant private accomplishments was photographing Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan before either of them became president. He was even inducted into Indiana’s Photography Hall of Fame. Ralph Reeves Pyle Jr. died in December 2012.

We honor his service.

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Nominate a Veteran for #VeteranOfTheDay

Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? VA’s #VeteranOfTheDay social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.

It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. All it takes is an email to newmedia@va.gov with as much information as you can put together, along with some good photos. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission.

Veterans History Project

This #VeteranOfTheDay profile was created with interviews submitted to the Veterans History Project. The project collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war Veterans so that future generations may hear directly from Veterans and better understand the realities of war. Find out more at http://www.loc.gov/vets/.

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Contributors:

Graphic designer: Lilian Vo

Editor: Jennifer A. Ford

Fact Checker: Kat Blanchard