Ernie Pyle was the first "embedded" journalist. But, there were also a specially trained members of the Army whose specific purpose was to record, on film, the operations of the Army for posterity. The 486th had a photography branch, and one of its photographers was Sergeant Peter "Rupy" Ruplenas. Many combat and crew photographs on this website were taken by Rupy. This collection of photos are from Rupy's collection.

Rupy remained in the Army following WWII. He saw service in Korea, and Viet Nam before retiring at the rank of Sergeant First Class. Unlike embeds of today's media, Rupy was trained in combat techniques and carried a fire arm as well as his trusty camera.

All photographs are copyrighted by Peter Ruplenas.

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