D-Day and The Oldfield Effect

Nebraska Stories

Air Date: 04/25/2019

A look back at the war correspondents recruited by Nebraskan and US Army press officer Barney Oldfield, including Omaha’s Bob Reuben, a Reuters news correspondent. Reuben was the first journalist to land in Normandy and the first correspondent to file a news report with a Normandy dateline, sent by carrier pigeon to Barney Oldfield 150 miles away.

In 1957, Bob Reuben sent Barney Oldfield a letter describing his experience as the first war correspondent to arrive in Normandy during D-Day, including sending his first Normandy story out to the world via carrier pigeon.

General Eisenhower addressing American paratroopers in England on June 5, 1944.

American paratroopers in flight to Normandy June 6, 1944.

Nebraskan Bob Reuben served as a US Army press officer under General Eisenhower.

Nebraskan and WWII war correspondent Bob Reuben.

American WWII paratroopers preparing to jump from a plane.

A group six of war correspondents parchuted in with the paratroopers during the Normandy Invasion.

Bob Reuben was the first war correspondent to land in Normandy on D-Day and to send a report from the battlefield..

Barney Oldfield (center)