Prior to World War II, Ernie Pyle (1900-1945) had spent seven years travelling the country, collecting stories for his daily feature column for the Scripps Howard chain. In 1940 he went abroad to cover the Battle of Britain, and distinguished himself as a gifted war correspondent. He subsequently covered America's involvement in the war from the frontlines in North Africa, Sicily, Italy and France and gained a reputation as "America's most widely read correspondent." At his peak, Pyle's columns appeared in some 400 daily and 300 weekly newspapers. While he wrote about the military at all levels, Pyle lionized the infantryman. He admired the grunts' courage and resoluteness, and once said they were "the guys that wars can't be won without." After his stint in the European theater, Pyle reluctantly yet dutifully accepted an assignment in the Pacific. He was killed by sniper fire in April 1945 on the Japanese island of Ie Shima.