George Esper

George Esper
Born1932
Uniontown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedFebruary 2, 2012 (aged 79)
Braintree, Massachusetts, U.S.
EducationWest Virginia University (BS)
OccupationJournalist
EmployerAssociated Press
RelativesMark Esper (nephew)

George Esper (1932 – February 2, 2012) was an American journalist and academic known for his work as a foreign correspondent for the Associated Press during the Vietnam War.

Early life and education

Esper was born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, in 1932, the son of Lebanese immigrants.[1] He graduated from West Virginia University, becoming the first member of his family to attend college.[2]

Career

Esper worked as a sports writer for the Uniontown Morning Herald and the Pittsburgh Press before being hired by the Associated Press in 1958.[2] Esper was a noted foreign correspondent for the Associated Press during the Vietnam War, working at the AP's Saigon Bureau under bureau chief Edwin Q. White.[2][3] Esper refused to leave the city, now known as Ho Chi Minh City, during the Fall of Saigon, choosing to cover the aftermath of the end of the war.[2] He spent forty-two years reporting for the Associated Press.[2] He worked as a journalism professor at West Virginia University following his retirement from the AP in 2000.[1]

Personal life and death

Esper died in Braintree, Massachusetts, on February 2, 2012, at the age of 79.[2] He was buried at St. George Maronite Catholic Church in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, on February 9.[4]

His nephew is former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b North, Don (2012-05-09). "Requiem for a Vietnam War Reporter - George Esper, 1932-2012". Vietnam Magazine. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Pyle, Richard (2012-02-03). "AP Vietnam correspondent George Esper dies at 79". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2012-12-14. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
  3. ^ Garcia, Oskar (2012-11-03). "Edwin Q. White, former AP Saigon chief, dies". Hawaii Tribune Herald. Archived from the original on 2013-01-03. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
  4. ^ "AP Vietnam Correspondent George Esper Dies At 79". www.wbur.org. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
  5. ^ "Pentagon and Hanoi defense chiefs trade artifacts of soldiers missing from Vietnam War". Washington Examiner. November 22, 2019.