New York ? NBC News correspondent David Bloom, who died while covering the war in Iraq, was eulogized at his funeral Wednesday as a modern-day Ernie Pyle who had a spiritual awakening before his death.

Bloom, 39, the weekend anchor of “Today” and a former White House correspondent, died of an apparent blood clot April 6 while embedded with a military unit in Iraq.

Equipped with a special vehicle, called the “Bloom-mobile,” that allowed NBC to transmit remarkably clear pictures of him riding atop a tank in the Iraqi desert, Bloom was one of the most visible TV correspondents covering the war.

“David was the Ernie Pyle of his generation,” NBC anchor Tom Brokaw said, comparing his colleague to the legendary newspaperman who covered World War II.

Brokaw praised Bloom’s “boyish enthusiasm,” storytelling ability and thirst for covering big stories.

“David had a lot of great ideas — none better than the ‘Bloom-mobile,’ which transported him and transformed war reporting,” the veteran NBC anchorman said.

Bloom’s funeral was at New York’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral, less than a block from his NBC News office. New York’s archbishop, Cardinal Edward Egan, recalled Bloom attending Sunday Mass there after his “Today” show duties.

Parts of the funeral were shown on MSNBC, CNN and Fox News Channel. New York Gov. George Pataki, White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, ABC anchorman Peter Jennings, CBS newsman Ed Bradley and much of NBC’s on-air staff were among the mourners.

Bloom is survived by his wife, Melanie, and three daughters.

Hours before Bloom died, he wrote an e-mail to Melanie saying the experience of covering the war had transformed him, leading him to realize that nothing mattered more than his relationship with her and their daughters, said his older brother, John Bloom.

He quoted Bloom’s last message to his wife: “Here I am, supposedly at the peak of professional success, and I can frankly care less.”