A.B.C. Whipple facts for kids

Quick facts for kids A.B.C. "Cal" Whipple
"Cal" Whipple
Born	Addison Beecher Colvin Whipple (1918-07-15)July 15, 1918 Glen Falls, New York, U.S.
Died	March 17, 2013(2013-03-17) (aged 94) Greenwich, Connecticut, U.S.
Occupation	War Correspondent, Writer and Historian
Alma mater	Loomis Yale University Harvard University
Period	1941–1994
Genre	History
Subject	Military History Editor, Maritime History

Addison Beecher Colvin, known as "Cal" Whipple (born July 15, 1918 – died March 17, 2013), was an American journalist, editor, historian, and author. He was born in Glens Falls, New York. Cal grew up mostly in Suffield, Connecticut. He went to Loomis School, then Yale University, and later Harvard University. After his studies, he started working for Life Magazine. Cal had many important jobs at Time/Life. He also wrote many books, especially about the history of ships and the sea.

Showing the Truth: War Photos and Censorship

How War Photos Were Kept Secret

In 1943, Cal Whipple was a reporter for Life Magazine. He worked in Washington D.C. at the new Pentagon building. At that time, the U.S. government had strict rules about war photos. They only allowed pictures of soldiers who had died if their bodies were covered or in flag-draped coffins. This was because they worried that seeing real photos of fallen soldiers would make people at home feel sad or scared.

A Photo That Changed Everything

In January 1943, a photographer named George Strock returned from New Guinea. He had a powerful photo of three American soldiers who had died on a beach. This photo broke the rules. Cal Whipple knew it was important for people to see the truth of the war. He tried to get the photo published. He talked to many military leaders, from captains to generals. Finally, he reached an Assistant Secretary of the Air Corps. This official decided the photo needed to go to the White House.

President Roosevelt's Decision

Elmer Davis, who led the U.S. Office of War Information, believed the rules should be changed. He convinced President Franklin D. Roosevelt to allow photos of soldiers who had died in battle. So, on September 20, 1943, Life Magazine finally published Strock's photo. It was the first time Americans saw a real picture of their soldiers who had died on the battlefield. The magazine also printed a full page explaining why they felt it was important to share the image.

The Impact of the Photos

The new photos had mixed effects. Sales of War bonds, which helped fund the war, went up. But fewer people signed up to join the military. Some readers were upset, saying Life was showing too much. They felt the public was not ready for such images. Even after this change, there were still rules. Media could not show the faces of soldiers who had died or their unit badges.

Cal Whipple's Other Work at Life

Working with Famous People

At Life Magazine, Cal Whipple helped edit the life stories of very famous people. He worked on the memoirs of General Douglas MacArthur and Winston Churchill. He also worked closely with well-known authors. These included James Jones, Walter Lord, and Rachel Carson.

Editor and Author

Later, Cal became a writer and editor for Life's international magazines. He also became an executive editor for Time-Life Books. He retired from his work in 1975.

Cal Whipple wrote more than a dozen books. Most of his books were about maritime history, which is the history of ships and the sea. His book about the clipper ship era, called The Challenge, won an Honorable Mention for a John Lyman Book Award. Cal also taught at a publishing course at Harvard and Radcliffe. He was part of the team that created the Harper's Dictionary of Contemporary English Usage.

Selected Books by Cal Whipple

• Yankee Whalers in the South Seas (1954)
• Pirate: Rascals of the Spanish Main (1957)
• Tall Ships and Great Captains (1960)
• Hero of Trafalgar: The Story of Lord Nelson (1963)
• The Fatal Gift of Beauty (1964)
• All About Nelson (1966)
• The Mysterious Voyage of Captain Kidd (1970)
• Fighting Sail (1978)
• Vintage Nantucket (1978)
• The Whalers (1978)
• The Whalers (1979)
• The Racing Yachts (1980)
• The Clipper Ships (1980)
• The Mediterranean (1981)
• Storm (1982)
• World War II in the Mediterranean (1982)
• Restless Ocean (1983)
• The Challenge (1987)
• To the Shores of Tripoli: The Birth of the U.S. Navy and Marines (1991)
• Critters: Adventures in Wildest Suburbia (1994)