DAVID HALBERSTAM 1934-2007

THE FIRST EXPOSURE I HAD TO TE WRITING OF JOURNALIST/AUTHOR DAVID HALBERSTAM WAS WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL. I WAS DOING A PAPER ON THE VIETNAM WAR AND THE IMPACT THE PENTAGON PAPERS HAD ON THE ABILITY OF THE GOVERNMENT TO CARRY OUT THE WAR ONCE IT WAS EXPOSED AS A LIE. AS I RESEARCHED I FOUND REPORTS FILED BY NEW YORK TIMES REPORTER DAVID HALBERSTAM. HE HAD REPORTED WHAT DANIEL ELLSBURG HAD BEEN ABLE TO SLIP AWAY FROM THE PENTAGON AND HAND OVER TO THE WASHINGTON POST; SECRET PAPERS AS TO THE TRUTH BEHIND WHY WE WERE SENDING OUR YOUNG TO FIGHT AND DIE IN SOUTH EAST ASIA. DAVID HALBERSTAM'S REPORTS WERE SO ON THE MONEY, SO CONCISE THAT THE NIXON ADMINISTRATION FELT THE NEED TO ADDRESS SPECIFIC SENTENCES HALBERSTAM WROTE IN HIS ARTICLES. LATER I WOULD FIND READING HIS BOOKS ON SPORTS, BASEBALL CLEARLY A LOVE OF HIS,A EXPERIENCE OF PURE JOY AND FOUND THAT HIS ABILITY TO DRAW PARALLELS TO WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN SPORTS TO EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WAS HAPPENING IN THE COUNTRY AS PURE GENIUS ON HIS PART. TO HALBERSTAM SPORTS WAS JUST A MICROCOSM OF OUR SOCIETY BUT ON MANY OCCASIONS IT TOOK OUR MINDS OFF OF OUR SHORTCOMINGS AS A NATION. I AM DEEPLY SADDENED BY THIS TRAGIC NEWS AND KNOW THAT IN A WORLD THAT HAS GONE WILD THE INSIGHT AND REASONING OF DAVID HALBERSTAM WILL BE GREATLY MISSED. REST IN PEACE, NOBLEST OF ALL WRITERS.