George Esper
George Esper (1932 – February 2, 2012) was an American journalist. 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.[1][2] 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.[1] He spent forty-two years reporting for the Associated Press.[1] He worked as a journalism professor at West Virginia University following his retirement from the AP in 2000.[3]
Esper was born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, in 1932, the son of Lebanese immigrants.[3] He graduated from West Virginia University, becoming the first member of his family to attend college.[1] Esper worked as a sports writer for the Uniontown Morning Herald and the Pittsburgh Press before being hired by the Associated Press in 1958.[1]
Esper died in his sleep on February 2, 2012, at the age of 79.[1] He was buried at St. George Maronite Catholic Church in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, on February 9.[3]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Pyle, Richard (2012-02-03). "AP Vietnam correspondent George Esper dies at 79". Associated Press. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
- ^ Garcia, Oskar (2012-11-03). "Edwin Q. White, former AP Saigon chief, dies". Hawaii Tribune Herald. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
- ^ a b c North, Don (2012-05-09). "Requiem for a Vietnam War Reporter - George Esper, 1932-2012". Vietnam Magazine. Retrieved 2012-11-22.