04.24.07 5:00 AM CDT
• Media
• Heather Haebe
There’s a tendency to automatically deify the recently passed, but it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that writer David Halberstam truly deserves the reverence. Halberstam was killed in a car accident Monday morning at the age of 73.To many, the man represented the best of an increasingly rare breed of journalist—the kind who tempered unfailing determination with dignity and grace, and always felt a personal responsibility to provide honest information to the American public.
Neil Sheehan, Halberstam’s friend and colleague, recounted a time when a U.S. general admonished a group of journalists covering the Vietnam War as being “pitiful, lowly young reporters.”
In his typical style, Halberstam shot back: “General, you do not understand. We are not corporals. We do not work for you. We will call a commanding general any time at home we need to get our job done."
Halberstam (pictured here with George Plimpton) was also a long-time contributor to Playboy. He used our pages to address topics ranging from the repercussions of the Vietnam and Cold Wars to his love of both Frank Sinatra and Regis Philbin.
Additionally, Halberstam was a personal friend to many of our editors. Long-time Playboy editorial director Arthur Kretchmer was honored to be included in the Halberstam-compiled book, “The Best American Sports Writing of the Century.” His appearances in our office were always accompanied by a sense of excitement amongst the staff, with everyone on their best behavior for the man with the booming voice and spectacular reputation. It’s not every day you get to meet a legend, and now the world has one less opportunity.
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Comments on this entry:
For me, David Halberstam is one of the writers who helped make Playboy a must-read publication. His profile of Howard Cosell (December 1982) and articles on the battle of Ia Drang Valley in the Vietnam war ("Requiem for the Cold War," January 1994) and the 1950s ("1950: When Nothing Was the Same," January 2000) rank among some of my all-time favorite Playboy pieces.