William Tuohy
Encyclopedia
William, or Bill, Tuohy (October 1, 1926 – December 31, 2009) was a Pulitzer Prize
-winning journalist and author who, for most of his career, was a foreign correspondent
for the Los Angeles Times
.
, and was brought up in that city. In 1945 he joined the U.S. Navy, and served for two years aboard a submarine rescue vessel, the USS Florikan
, in the Pacific.
In 1947, and after leaving the navy, Tuohy was injured in a train wreck
, and as a result with a pronounced limp for the rest of his life. He returned to Illinois and studied English
at the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, graduating from Northwestern University
in 1951. The following year he went to work at the San Francisco Chronicle
as a copy boy
.
on the city desk. He joined Newsweek
magazine in 1959, covering the 1964 presidential campaign
and briefly working as the assistant national editor. Tuohy was appointed Newsweek's foreign correspondent in Saigon in 1965, just as the United States
was just entering the Vietnam War
. He was there when the United States began bombing North Vietnam
, and when the first US combat troops came ashore at Da Nang
.
In 1966 Tuohy joined the Los Angeles Times
as the Saigon Bureau Chief. In 1969 Tuohy won the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting
for his Vietnam War
correspondence the previous year. Tuohy had a lengthy career as a foreign correspondent. He served as Beirut
Bureau Chief from 1968 to 1973, Rome
Bureau Chief from 1973 to 1977, London
Bureau Chief from 1977 to 1985, Bonn
Bureau Chief from 1985 to 1990 and European Security Correspondent from 1990 to 1995. In addition to postings as bureau chief, he covered the Fall of Saigon
, the Fall of the Berlin Wall, The Troubles
of Northern Ireland
, and the first Gulf War
.
In 1979, when fellow Los Angeles Times correspondent Joe Alex Morris Jr. was killed in the early days of the Iranian Revolution
, Tuohy hired a Learjet and flew into Tehran
airport, even though the airport was closed to traffic and occupied by the Revolutionary Guards. After negotiations, he received Morris's body and flew back to the US, returning the body to Morris's family.
In 1989, he published a memoir, Dangerous Company, Inside the World’s Hottest Trouble Spots with a Pulitzer Prize-Winning Correspondent.
After retiring, Tuohy wrote two books of naval history. The Bravest Man: The Story of Richard O'Kane and U.S. Submariners in the Pacific War was published in 2001 in the U.K. and 2006 in the U.S. Richard O'Kane
was the Executive Officer of the USS Wahoo (SS-238)
during World War II
and later received a Medal of Honor
for his service in command of the USS Tang (SS-306)
. His second book, America's Fighting Admirals: Winning the War at Sea in World War II was published in 2007. The book told the story of the war from the perspective of Navy Admirals such as Marc Mitscher
, the commander of the Fast Carrier Task Force
and John S. McCain, Sr.
.
Tuohy died December 31, 2009 following open-heart surgery
in Santa Monica, California
.
citizen born in Vietnam
.
, Tuohy won the Overseas Press Club
award for his reporting from the Middle East in 1970. He also won the Best Feature Story award in 2003 from Submarine Review.
His last award was, alphabetically, being the last notable person to die in 2009.
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
-winning journalist and author who, for most of his career, was a foreign correspondent
Foreign correspondent
Foreign Correspondent may refer to:*Foreign correspondent *Foreign Correspondent , an Alfred Hitchcock film*Foreign Correspondent , an Australian current affairs programme...
for the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
.
Early life
Tuohy was born on October 1, 1926 in Chicago, IllinoisIllinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, and was brought up in that city. In 1945 he joined the U.S. Navy, and served for two years aboard a submarine rescue vessel, the USS Florikan
USS Florikan (ASR-9)
The USS Florikan was a Chanticleer-class submarine rescue ship in the United States Navy.Florikan was launched 14 June 1942 by Moore Dry Dock Company, Oakland, California; sponsored by Mrs. L. Sahm; and commissioned 5 April 1943, Lieutenant N. K...
, in the Pacific.
In 1947, and after leaving the navy, Tuohy was injured in a train wreck
Train wreck
A train wreck or train crash is a type of disaster involving one or more trains. Train wrecks often occur as a result of miscommunication, as when a moving train meets another train on the same track; or an accident, such as when a train wheel jumps off a track in a derailment; or when a boiler...
, and as a result with a pronounced limp for the rest of his life. He returned to Illinois and studied English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
at the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, graduating from Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
in 1951. The following year he went to work at the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
as a copy boy
Copy boy
A copy boy is a typically young and junior worker on a newspaper.The job involves taking typed stories from one section of a newspaper to another....
.
Career
At the San Francisco Chronicle, Tuohy gained promotion to reporter and, eventually, editorEditing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
on the city desk. He joined Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
magazine in 1959, covering the 1964 presidential campaign
United States presidential election, 1964
The United States presidential election of 1964 was held on November 3, 1964. Incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson had come to office less than a year earlier following the assassination of his predecessor, John F. Kennedy. Johnson, who had successfully associated himself with Kennedy's...
and briefly working as the assistant national editor. Tuohy was appointed Newsweek's foreign correspondent in Saigon in 1965, just as the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
was just entering the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. He was there when the United States began bombing North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
, and when the first US combat troops came ashore at Da Nang
Da Nang
Đà Nẵng , occasionally Danang, is a major port city in the South Central Coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea at the mouth of the Han River. It is the commercial and educational center of Central Vietnam; its well-sheltered, easily accessible port and its location on the path of...
.
In 1966 Tuohy joined the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
as the Saigon Bureau Chief. In 1969 Tuohy won the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting
Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting
This Pulitzer Prize has been awarded since 1942 for a distinguished example of reporting on international affairs, including United Nations correspondence. In its first six years , it was called the Pulitzer Prize for Telegraphic Reporting - International...
for his Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
correspondence the previous year. Tuohy had a lengthy career as a foreign correspondent. He served as Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
Bureau Chief from 1968 to 1973, Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
Bureau Chief from 1973 to 1977, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
Bureau Chief from 1977 to 1985, Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
Bureau Chief from 1985 to 1990 and European Security Correspondent from 1990 to 1995. In addition to postings as bureau chief, he covered the Fall of Saigon
Fall of Saigon
The Fall of Saigon was the capture of Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, by the People's Army of Vietnam and the National Liberation Front on April 30, 1975...
, the Fall of the Berlin Wall, The Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
of Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, and the first Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
.
In 1979, when fellow Los Angeles Times correspondent Joe Alex Morris Jr. was killed in the early days of the Iranian Revolution
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the...
, Tuohy hired a Learjet and flew into Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
airport, even though the airport was closed to traffic and occupied by the Revolutionary Guards. After negotiations, he received Morris's body and flew back to the US, returning the body to Morris's family.
In 1989, he published a memoir, Dangerous Company, Inside the World’s Hottest Trouble Spots with a Pulitzer Prize-Winning Correspondent.
Retirement
Tuohy retired in 1995.After retiring, Tuohy wrote two books of naval history. The Bravest Man: The Story of Richard O'Kane and U.S. Submariners in the Pacific War was published in 2001 in the U.K. and 2006 in the U.S. Richard O'Kane
Richard O'Kane
Rear Admiral Richard Hetherington “Dick” O'Kane was a United States Navy submarine commander in World War II, who received a Medal of Honor for his service on the...
was the Executive Officer of the USS Wahoo (SS-238)
USS Wahoo (SS-238)
was a Gato-class submarine, the first United States Navy ship to be named for the wahoo, a dark blue food fish of Florida and the West Indies....
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and later received a Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
for his service in command of the USS Tang (SS-306)
USS Tang (SS-306)
USS Tang was a Balao-class submarine of World War II. She was built and launched in 1943.In her short career, the Tang sank 33 ships displacing 116,454 tons Her commanding officer received the Medal of Honor for her last two engagements...
. His second book, America's Fighting Admirals: Winning the War at Sea in World War II was published in 2007. The book told the story of the war from the perspective of Navy Admirals such as Marc Mitscher
Marc Mitscher
Admiral Marc Andrew "Pete" Mitscher was an admiral in the United States Navy who served as commander of the Fast Carrier Task Force in the Pacific in the latter half of World War II.-Early life and career:...
, the commander of the Fast Carrier Task Force
Fast Carrier Task Force
The Fast Carrier Task Force was the main striking force of the United States Navy in the Pacific Ocean theatre of World War II.The Fast Carrier Task Force was known under two designations. The Navy made use of two sets of upper command structures for planning the upcoming operations...
and John S. McCain, Sr.
John S. McCain, Sr.
John Sidney "Slew" McCain Sr. was a U.S. Navy admiral. He held several command assignments during the Pacific campaign of World War II....
.
Tuohy died December 31, 2009 following open-heart surgery
Cardiac surgery
Cardiovascular surgery is surgery on the heart or great vessels performed by cardiac surgeons. Frequently, it is done to treat complications of ischemic heart disease , correct congenital heart disease, or treat valvular heart disease from various causes including endocarditis, rheumatic heart...
in Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
.
Family
Tuohy married three times. His first marriage was to Mary Ellen Dufek in 1955, and lasted until 1957 before they were divorced. In 1964 he married Johanna Iselen and had a son, Cyril. He and Johanna were divorced in 1989. He married a third time in 1998, to Rose Marie Wheeler, a FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
citizen born in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
.
Awards
In addition to the Pulitzer Prize for International ReportingPulitzer Prize for International Reporting
This Pulitzer Prize has been awarded since 1942 for a distinguished example of reporting on international affairs, including United Nations correspondence. In its first six years , it was called the Pulitzer Prize for Telegraphic Reporting - International...
, Tuohy won the Overseas Press Club
Overseas Press Club
The Overseas Press Club of America was founded in 1939 in New York City by a group of foreign correspondents. The wire service reporter Carol Weld was a founding member...
award for his reporting from the Middle East in 1970. He also won the Best Feature Story award in 2003 from Submarine Review.
His last award was, alphabetically, being the last notable person to die in 2009.