IDEALS Banner IDEALS Banner IDEALS Banner
IDEALS Home University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

IDEALS @ UIUC >
UIUC Research and Scholarship (Uncategorized) >
UIUC Research and Scholarship (Uncategorized) >

Please use this identifier to cite this item: http://hdl.handle.net/2142/2443

Title: The Face in the Surf
Authors: Getz, Lowell L.
Keywords: World War II
D-Day
Normandy
Omaha Beach
Capa, Robert
Riley, Huston "Hu" S.
GI in surf
Photography
Issue Date: 2007
Citation Information: A previous version of this essay was published as: Getz, Lowell L. World War II: Who is the Face in the Surf In Robert Capa's Photo from 'Bloody Omaha'. World War II. June 2004.
Abstract / Summary: One of the enduring images from World War II is the photograph of the face of the GI in the surf on the Normandy beachhead, taken by Robert Capa and originally published in Life Magazine. The photograph now appears in most accounts of the Normandy invasion and has been listed as one of the most important images of the 20th Century. The infantryman in Capa’s photo was not identified. The photo was captured in the confusion of the men in the first wave fighting their way to the shore. There was no opportunity for Capa to find out who he had photographed. Over the years several men suggested they were the GI in the photo; none has been able to verify such a claim. The research reported on this web site proposes that a very likely candidate for the GI in the photo is PFC Huston Riley of Fox Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division. Because of copyright laws, we cannot include Capa’s photograph on this web site. It can be seen in a variety of venues, as listed below, so that the reader can compare the image captured by Capa with those of Huston Riley included in this web site. In addition to the text and maps of Omaha Beach showing where Hu and Capa came ashore and photos of Hu taken summer 1945, the audio of an interview of Hu’s recollections of D-Day is included with the web site. This interview was recorded as a part of a video documentary (Omaha Beach, D-Day, Volumes I and II) made by Larry Cappetta on Omaha Beach 7 June 2004. Hu and Larry made the documentary at the exact place on Omaha Beach where Hu came ashore with the first wave on 6 June 1944.
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2142/2443
Type of Resource: sound
still image
text
Genre of Resource: essay
sound recording (oral)
Publication Status: published or submitted for publication
Appears in Collections: UIUC Research and Scholarship (Uncategorized)
File (click to download) Description Format Downloads
This Month Total
Original File(s)
FaceInTheSurf.html (21Kb) Index page HTML 51 899
Total Item Downloads:
(including previous files/formats)
51 899

Items in IDEALS are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.

Contact | Feedback | UIUC Library | CITES | Office of the Provost
Copyright © 2005-2007 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Valid XHTML 1.0!  Valid CSS!
Powered by DSpace