Reporter’s Notebook: Remembering Pierre Zakrzewski

Fox Information’ Pierre Zakrzewski died Monday doing what he cherished to do most: chasing a narrative.

He was top-of-the-line fight cameramen – all-around cameramen, for that matter – within the enterprise.

He was an unimaginable journalist. He knew the tales in and out.

RUSSIA INVADES UKRAINE: LIVE UPDATES

He was a tremendous colleague. So many individuals within the media will bear in mind how he helped them within the discipline, selflessly, and earned friendship upon friendship.

And he was an expensive pal. We’d battle like cats and canine over some angle of a narrative one second. And the subsequent second we’d be rocking out to the Rolling Stones, our favourite band.

We labored collectively for over 20 years. He obtained unimaginable video in story after story we’d cowl. Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, the Mideast, the DMZ, riots in Hong Kong, Paris terror, Asian earthquakes.    

He saved my very own life on many events.

We had been embedded within the lead Marine firm within the battle of Fallujah in Iraq in 2004. Three Marines had been killed, 18 injured, simply in our unit. He had my again.

He carried 80 kilos of digital digicam gear on his again as we scaled the Kunar Mountains in jap Afghanistan with younger military recruits in 2006. It was the one time I noticed him out of breath!

We’ve dodged bricks and bats and paving stones and stinging tear gasoline in riot after riot from Hong Kong to Athens to Paris. He at all times knew which strategy to flip and get the very best photos.

He cherished individuals.

He cherished journey. 

He cherished household.

He cherished meals.

He didn’t drink a lot or smoke or do medicine. He was excessive on life.

FOX NEWS CAMERAMAN PIERRE ZAKRZEWSKI KILLED IN UKRAINE

He hated… hated… hated sitting across the newsroom.

He hated stuck-up wealthy brats. He cherished common of us.

And he may need instructed a number of symbols of authority which strategy to go now and again.

We referred to as him Zak… Peppy… the Pep-ster… Pepé Le Pew. His household title, Zakrzewski, was a bit exhausting to interpret (it’s pronounced Zak-shev-ski).  

His father was Polish. His mom was French. They met in Scotland. He was raised in Eire. And along with his large mane of curly black hair and mustache, he appears to be like like he ought to be from someplace south of the Sahara!

And he bears a passing resemblance to the comedian character “Borat.” When the film was widespread, the troops cherished to take photos with him.

He labored exhausting and he performed exhausting.  A traditional Sort A personality (one foot was at all times fidgeting). His holidays included driving a motorbike throughout the Kenyan desert, hanging out with left-wing guerilla fighters in Central America and climbing any mountain that was helpful.

He was so colourful, one French writer needed to do an illustrated ebook about his life.

Earlier than he obtained to Fox Information, within the late ’80s, he was driving with the mujahideen on donkeys crossing into Afghanistan to battle the then-Soviet military.

FOX NEWS CAMERAMAN PIERRE ZAKRZEWSKI KILLED IN UKRAINE: ‘ABSOLUTELY HEARTBROKEN AT THE LOSS OF A LEGEND’

In 1989, he smuggled out photos of the lethal crackdown in Beijing’s Tiananmen Sq.. Within the ’90s, he lined all kinds of coups and disasters. 

And he discovered the time one summer time to take a job sucking asbestos out of attic ceilings in Rhode Island!

It was not simply me who favored working with him. Everyone needed to. 

Benjamin Corridor on the ISIS story. Trey Yingst within the final days of Afghanistan. Each within the plunging hell of Kyiv. Steve Harrigan needed Pierre at any time when he may get him. So did Mike Tobin. Amy Kellogg adored working with him. So did our new London reporter, Alex Hogan.

He labored selflessly to get Afghans out of hassle when the Taliban took over in that nation.

Through the years, he would host refugees at his dwelling… undertake long-distance needy of us from all over the world. He wasn’t into high-profile charities. He simply favored individuals to individuals.

His again ached on a regular basis. Typically it might freeze up, and he’d need to lie on the bottom. All as a consequence of carrying extra gear on journeys than every other cameraman round. His “bum bag” (a zipped container belted across the waist) carried extra objects than a pick-up truck.

He was as deaf as a coot, from standing too near the artillery blasts too many occasions.

He had a photographic reminiscence and would recall names and folks and tales from years in the past. I referred to as him my exterior reminiscence hard-drive.

He was a very good trainer. He educated up younger journalists in Afghanistan and Iraq. He was affected person and thorough. However he didn’t endure fools gladly.   

The horrible shelling exterior of Kyiv which resulted in his dying was not the primary time he obtained into hassle. Bombs, rockets, shells have exploded round him previously. We at all times stated he was like a cat with 9 lives.

Tragically, this week, these lives ran out. 

He as soon as instructed me he was going to work a bit longer after which retire. However his plans for retirement along with his pretty spouse, Mich, weren’t going to be enjoyable. They had been going to journey the world and go to each nook and cranny they hadn’t been to but. 

Now, he received’t get to try this.

As a gift for placing up with me, I took him to see the Rolling Stones in London on their fiftieth anniversary tour some time again. Simply the opposite day, I noticed the group deliberate a Sixtieth-anniversary live performance in Hyde Park this summer time. I used to be all set to get one other spherical of tickets.

Now, he received’t go there.

We’re going to overlook you, Pierre. We already do. Huge hug.