Ernie Pyle and the House on Girard
The Albuquerque/Bernalillo County library system named four of its 19 locations after authors who celebrated and documented the rich culture of New Mexico or were connected to the Land of Enchantment in some other way.
The three branches named for Erna Fergusson, Rudolfo Anaya, and Tony Hillerman, like the other locations in the system, have all the wonderful free resources you expect along with knowledgeable, helpful, infinitely patient staff.
The branch named for war correspondent Ernie Pyle, however, is different. It’s not located in a utilitarian commercial structure. It occupies Ernie Pyle’s well-loved home and everyone, from the picture book crowd to a retired physicist searching for classic sci-fi, is welcome to drop in whenever the spirit moves them.
Ernie Pyle was born in 1900 and grew up on a farm in Indiana. He attended Indiana University but dropped out right before graduation when a small newspaper offered him a job as a reporter. Pyle was an outstanding writer, and it wasn’t long before he was recruited by Scripps-Howard, a publishing syndicate that owned newspapers all over the country.
In 1925 he married Geraldine Siebolds and the newlyweds hit the road. By 1927 the couple had crossed the country 35 times while Ernie wrote installments for his column about the ordinary people they encountered on their travels. Pyle’s folksy, unpretentious writing style earned him wide acclaim and a fiercely loyal following. His column appeared in 400 daily and 300 weekly papers nationwide.
By 1940 the Pyles had grown tired of wandering. They decided it was time to settle down and build a home of their own. They could have lived anywhere, but they chose Albuquerque. “We like it because the sky is so bright and you can see so much of it,” Pyle said in an interview. “And because out here you actually see the clouds and the stars and the storms, instead of just reading about them in the newspapers."
When the United States entered World War II, Ernie Pyle accompanied the troops to Europe. His wartime dispatches, which were written in the same simple style he’d honed crisscrossing the heartland, transfixed readers. He wrote about the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of the common soldier, rather than focusing on big picture troop movements or the comments of generals and politicians. In 1944 he won the Pulitzer Prize for his war reporting.
In 1945 he followed the infantry to the Pacific theater where he was killed by enemy sniper fire during the Battle of Okinawa. At the time of his death, he was arguably the best-known American war correspondent. While describing Pyle’s uncanny ability to humanize a dehumanizing conflict, President Harry Truman said, "No man in this war has so well told the story of the American fighting man as American fighting men wanted it told.”
Later that year, a feature film called The Story of G.I. Joe, was released. The popular movie starring Burgess Meredith and Robert Mitchum tells the story of a typical infantryman, a G.I Joe, using dialogue, narration, and insights from Ernie Pyle’s columns. It was nominated for four Academy Awards.
Sadly, Ernie’s wife succumbed to influenza only seven months after her husband’s death. The couple’s heirs donated the Pyles’ house to the city of Albuquerque with hopes that it would eventually become a memorial of some sort. In 1948 the humble frame house with its white picket fence opened to the public as a branch of the library, which it still is today.
The librarians assigned to the branch maintain a collection of Pyle memorabilia along with the library’s regular books and media. The house and grounds became an officially designated National Historic Landmark in 2006.
The house is tiny, just over 1100 square feet. There are books everywhere. Even the closet doors were removed to create more space for shelving.
The side yard features a stone monument with an excerpt from Ernie Pyle’s famous column, The Death of Captain Waskow. There’s a bench in the yard. If the weather is nice, sit for a few minutes and soak up the atmosphere of this quiet place, an authentic piece of American history, as memorable and down-to-earth as its namesake.
Here’s a link to a short video called Ernie Pyle: America’s Eyewitness to World War II.
The Ernie Pyle Branch of the Albuquerque/Bernalillo Public Library is located at 900 Girard Boulevard, SE. There is parking on the street.
It’s open five days a week from 10am - 6pm. Closed Sundays and Mondays. Library opening days and hours are subject to change.
Due to the steps, small spaces, and narrow doors, the property is not ADA compliant.
Visit the Ernie Pyle Branch page or call 505-256-2065 for more information.
It’s hard to imagine a more fitting tribute.
