El Paso artist Tom Lea was the first Accredited War Artist-Correspondent hired by LIFE magazine to paint World War II as it was being experienced by U.S. and Allied troops. From 1941 to 1945, Lea traveled more than 100,000 miles to record military activities in places like the South Pacific, China, and Peleliu. His most iconic paintings were published in eleven issues of LIFE and became some of the most recognized war paintings in the world.