Journalist Gordon Gammack: Iowa Time Machine May 31, 1909

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On May 31, 1909, longtime reporter and columnist for the Des Moines Register and Des Moines Tribune Gordon Gammack was born. Noted for his coverage of Iowans serving in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, Gammack brought stories to life over the course of a long career.

Gammack, originally from Massachusetts, arrived in Des Moines working the police and sports beats for the Register. Moving to cover the Iowa House, Gammack eventually found a niche when sent overseas to cover Iowans serving in World War II. He wrote with a direct style and careful attention to the stories of individual people, a plainspoken coverage approach which endeared him to Iowans across the state.

After the war, Gammack returned to Des Moines and worked as a columnist for the Tribune and Sunday Register. When war again called, He resumed his duties as a foreign correspondent in Korea. An interview with released prisoner of war and Iowan Richard Morrison aired nationally on radio and television and spread Gammack’s straightforward style from coast to coast.

Gammack again headed into the field, this time in his 60s, when the United States entered the conflict in Vietnam. One of the first Americans to cover the covert invasion into Laos, Gammack continued to prove an engaging and able correspondent, interviewer, and writer. In 1974, Gammack passed away after a bout with cancer. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar