A photographer, in 1936 Mydans was hired by a new magazine: "Life". At first a general photographer for the groundbreaking magazine, he soon gravitated toward a particular subject: war. "Some people have asked me over the years, 'Why did you spend as much of your time covering war?'" Mydans once said. "War is not my delight," Mydans said. "War was the event of my years." He covered conflicts all over the world, often teamed up with his wife, Shelley, whom he met at the magazine: she was a reporter for Life. They were stationed in Asia when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, and both were captured by the Japanese, and were imprisoned for nearly a year. But they went back to work: Mydans' best-known photo was Gen. MacArthur wading ashore onto the Philippine island of Leyte, making good his promise, "I shall return." To Mydans frustration, legend has it that MacArthur staged the wet-shoe landing for the photographer, but he did not. Mydans died from heart failure at home in New York on August 16. He was 97.
From This is True for 15 August 2004 Suggestions for further reading:
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