Private, US 7th Infantry Division

Colourised by Doug Banks

 

Private First Class Terry Paul Moore of Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was number one Browning Automatic Rifleman in 2nd Platoon, Company 'F', 184th Infantry Regiment of the US 7th Infantry Division. Seen here lighting his first cigarette of the day on the island of Okinawa soon after the dawn attack on the town of Yonabaru in the early morning of the 22 May 1945.

 

     Photograph taken by William Eugene Smith for the 'Life' magazine edition published on the 18th of June 1945.

     W. Eugene Smith was tasked with the job of recording the working day of Infantryman Terry Moore, a typical foot soldier who had helped win the battle for the island of Okinawa from the Japanese.

     Private First Class Moore got through it unscathed but photographer Eugene Smith was badly injured whilst taking photos during a mortar attack, he was reported to have said that he wanted to be in the same spot as the guy he was photographing.

     Eugene Smith's account: "It was late in the afternoon when the artillery we'd been expecting opened up on us. They had us zeroed in and we just lay and took it. I could see the bursts puffing up around us and to our rear and they were getting better. Terry lay a few yards away, I adjusted my camera, judged the footage and waited. I wanted to show Terry under close mortar hits, it was part of his day. The trouble with taking photographs when the air is full of lead is that you have to stand up when anyone with any sense is lying down and trying to disappear right into the earth. I got to my feet .....
     The next thing I remember was a spiral ringing in my ears and I knew I was regaining consciousness. I knew I had been hit but I didn't hurt. I heard the cry, "Medic, medic, over here, the photographer!"

     Smith had been hit by a shell fragment from a mortar, which had gone through his left hand and into his face.