[1] The medal was in recognition of his heroism on November 15, 1965, during the Battle of Ia Drang,[3] the first major battle by U.S. and North Vietnamese troops in the Vietnam War. in the opinions of many analysts. Before that he held an assignment as a special consultant to General Colin Powell at the State Department. anti-war movement, Marines A young captain hurried past and I recognized him. Galloway narrated A Flag Between Two Families, a documentary film, based on the events of May 9, 1968, in Vietnam by the members of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry. Before that he held an assignment as a special consultant to General Colin Powell at the State Department. During the fighting, he risked his own safety to assist wounded soldiers. Vietnam was the war that everyone saw because the media was always there and always telling the story. Moore and his small command group and their radio operators sat with their backs to a large termite mound, big as a Volkswagen and hard as concrete. [8] Joseph Adams was born on February 4, 1956 in Concord, California, USA. The word was wrong. Tom Metsker who was killed in action at Ia Drang in 1965. It forced the U.S. to confront basic questions it had avoided throughout the country’s long descent into war – how long will it take to win in Vietnam, how much will it cost and is victory worth the price? For some, it takes only six words to sum up what it was like to serve in Vietnam. His return to Maj. Joseph Galloway, 73, is a veteran war correspondent who did four stints in Vietnam, including a 16-month tour in 1965, during which he covered the pivotal Battle of Ia Drang Valley. In 1964, Keith Connolly was a young Air Force pilot and was among the first Americans to fly It was a size 12 combat boot on the foot of Plumley: “Can’t take no pictures lying down there on the ground, Sonny!” he shouted over the din of combat. Before moonrise, we landed in the tall grass at X-Ray and bailed out, throwing the crates of ammo and 5-gallon plastic jugs of water out into the grass, and then fell flat as the two Hueys lifted off. 1966 was a formative year for America as its military began to increase its presence in We Are Soldiers Still ; A Journey Back to the Battlefields of Vietnam was published in 2008. Maj. It had not escaped my notice that I was now with the 7th Cavalry, Custer’s old outfit, and chances were good that none of us would make it out of this place alive. Suddenly I felt a thump in my ribs and turned my head carefully to see what it was. The fighting, sometimes hand to hand, would continue all this day and all night and into the third morning on Nov. 16. Nearby was a makeshift aid station. Bow to their captors or take a beating. for the better by its own enterprise, ingenuity and vision. Gary Redlinski says he can hear the Hueys, Chinooks and C-130s, all bearing dozens upon The Communists, meanwhile, learned from their losses. Galloway has been decorated with a Bronze Star Medal with V for rescuing wounded soldiers under fire in… military deployed larger troop formations, waged bigger battles and killed hundreds of enemy Thomas Alva Edison High School, had the highest casualty rate during the Vietnam War of any The American dead and wounded flowed into the CP area and the aid station. Each year there are fewer who answer the roll call at battalion reunions. defense of exposed and vulnerable Marine bases along the Demilitarized Zone like Con Thien, to It was his war, now. It was the year of the reality check, when Americans and their own government began to [3], Galloway is a native of Refugio, Texas. On March 15, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson gave a speech decrying the brutalization by Vietnam, POW The following is his account from the Battle of Ia Drang Valley: It was Sunday, Nov. 14, 1965, just after dark when I climbed aboard a Huey helicopter filled with crates of ammunition and hand grenades and hitched a ride into the pages of history. Nakayama, a native of Rigby, Idaho, died two days later. They had two sons, Joshua and Lee. Everything they fired that didn’t hit something seemed to be passing right through the command post area about knee-high. But it also led No one had heard of Jan Scruggs until he took a week off to start planning what would become look at war, Lead the best? Then he told Moore “that reporter Galloway wants to come along.” Moore’s reply, over the sounds of battle crackling on the radio: “If he’s crazy enough to want to come and you’ve got room, bring him!”. [5], Galloway started his career at The Victoria Advocate in Victoria, Texas, afterwards working for United Press International (UPI) in the Kansas City and Topeka bureaus. realize Editor's note: Joseph Galloway, 73, is a veteran war correspondent who did four stints in Vietnam, including a 16-month tour in 1965, during which he covered the pivotal Battle of Ia Drang Valley. Vietnam Story The word was the Ia Drang would be a walk. Before that he held an assignment as a special consultant to General Colin Powell at the State Department. As far as authenticity is concerned, Hollywood’s Vietnam War films have run the gamut from Joseph Lee Galloway (born November 13, 1941) is an American newspaper correspondent and columnist. Joe Galloway stars in HISTORY's series Vietnam in HD. Go tell them how my troopers died. Before that he held an assignment as a special consultant to General Colin Powell at the State Department. history since the Civil War. It’s a In 1998, Galloway married Karen Metsker, daughter of Capt. Capt. He worked as a reporter for UPI during the early part of Vietnam War in 1965. Galloway was a special consultant to General Colin Powell at the State Department in 2001 and 2002. Joseph Lee Galloway (born November 13, 1941) is an American newspaper correspondent and columnist. Together they had two sons, Joshua and Lee. Moore and the 7th Cavalry battalions would fight on for eight months, and I would join them every chance I got. communist forces began building the Ho Chi Minh Trail through Southeast Asia. Pierre Mathieu Van Wissem went to Vietnam in 1965, and part of him never came Five decades later, their ranks are thinning They were Galloway married Dr. Gracie Liem Lim Suan Tzu, a friend for more than 45 years, on May 13, 2012, in Las Vegas. The colonel was making plans to send a strong patrol out to rescue a platoon of B Company that had been lured into an ambush and had withstood repeated enemy assaults all night long when fighting erupted along the Charlie Company line on the perimeter. unable Lee Ellis recounts his time as a prisoner of the infamous Hanoi Hilton. I personally believe Galloway is the reason why I want to be a photojournalist so bad. high They walked into a hasty ambush by a fresh unit of North Vietnamese, and in six hours of horrific slaughter in the high grass and thick jungle, would lose 155 men killed and 130 wounded. There’s lots of bodies here and most of them are ours.” It was Sgt. as close to the real things as possible. pilots, once enemies, now friends, Flying The battalion had lost 79 troopers killed and over 120 wounded. Thirty-three years later, he was decorated with the Bronze Star for helping to rescue a badly wounded soldier while under enemy fire on November 15, 1965, during the Battle of Ia Drang at Landing Zone X-Ray in Vietnam. I hid out from the other reporters until near dark when they caught a chopper back to Pleiku and a hot meal, shower and a nice bunk. Joseph L. Galloway, one of America’s premier war and foreign correspondents for half a century, recently retired as the senior military correspondent for Knight Ridder Newspapers. and Viet Cong, Families [2], During the Vietnam War, he often worked alongside the American troops he covered and was awarded a Bronze Star Medal in 1998, for carrying a badly wounded man to safety while he was under very heavy enemy fire in 1965. By Our sister battalion, the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry, held X-Ray that night, and on the morning of Nov. 17 set out on the march to another clearing 3 miles away, dubbed Landing Zone Albany. one of the most enduring was the reliance on helicopters as both a transport tool and an Basil L. Plumley policing us up. He is the co-author of the acclaimed Vietnam War book “We Were Soldiers Once ... and Young,” which was the basis for the movie “We Were Soldiers.”. Harriet” lives after decades of war and economic depression. In We Were Soldiers, a 2002 film based on his 1992 book, Galloway is portrayed by actor Barry Pepper. In his inaugural address in 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson made no direct mention of the designation the school has embraced. Tu De, a 16-year-old from Hanoi, spent most of 1966 learning how to fly fighter planes in He is the former Military Affairs consultant for the Knight-Ridder chain of newspapers and was a columnist with McClatchy Newspapers. He told me he was taking two Hueys full of ammo to X-Ray as soon as it got dark, but he couldn’t take me unless Moore cleared it. Former U.S. Sen. Max Cleland, financier Dick Strong, and 7th Cavalry veterans John Henry Irsfeld… Bill Ross "I was with C Co, 1/7 Cav and attached to Bn Commo Center (Trojan 65) until Jan 66 when I returned to C Co as Commo Chief with Capt Cash CO until I returned to the states in Jul 66. Five days after assuming the presidency, Richard Nixon dispatched a team of negotiators to there. Ed “Too Tall to Fly” Freeman, braved the enemy fire bringing supplies and carrying out the wounded on mission after mission. As we circled overhead an A-1E Skyraider trailing a hundred yards of smoke and fire flashed below us. high school in the United States – a fact that’s confirmed by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund attending Decades later, they sat down to talk to Marines they once called foe. On the third day the survivors of the X-Ray battle were pulled back to Pleiku to rest and refit. action. A sequel was released in 2008: We Were Soldiers Still: A Journey Back to the Battlefields of Vietnam[9] offensive weapon. role in Vietnam, Reports but those who remain are still telling stories. We remember them all, those who died young and those who died old, dimly through our tears. Viewed through the prism of time, the years after World War II can seem like an idyllic era, Despite The sonic revolution and one-upmanship that defined 1966 make a compelling case to call it syndrome casts doubts, Faces and Moore and Galloway gave an interview on the book at the Pritzker Military Library on September 17, 2008.[10]. Keynote speaker, Joseph L. Galloway, an award-winning and nationally-respected correspondent and journalist covering foreign affairs for nearly 50 years, is greeted by fellow veterans after... Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images Later, he served overseas as bureau chief or regional manager in Tokyo, Vietnam, Jakarta, New Delhi, Singapore, Moscow, and Los Angeles. He has been married to Dr. Gracie Liem Lim Suan Tzu since May 13, 2012. Joseph L. Galloway, one of America's premier war and foreign correspondents for half a century, recently retired as the senior military correspondent for Knight Ridder Newspapers. Joseph Adams, Actor: That Awkward Moment. During the Vietnam War, he often worked alongside the troops he covered and was awarded a Bronze Star for carrying wounded men to safety Download this stock image: Veteran war correspondent Joseph L. Galloway moderates a panel during the Vietnam War Summit at the LBJ Library and Museum. meant a free ride to a college degree. Joseph Lee "Joe" Galloway, is an American newspaper correspondent and columnist. He was previously married to Karen Metsker. being a civilian, Galloway was awarded a Bronze Star with “V” device for valor by the Army (Winner of the 1991 National Magazine Award and the basis for the We Were Soliders.) When Richard Nixon entered the White House on Jan. 20, 1969 support for the war was eroding, especially after the shock Joseph Lee Galloway (born November 13, 1941) is an American newspaper correspondent and columnist. of the United States. He married his first wife, Theresa M. Magdalene, in October 1964 and they remained married until her death on January 26, 1996, from cancer. a major concern and few foresaw how it would divide the country and cultivate an abiding a 16-month tour in 1965, during which he covered the pivotal Battle of Ia Drang Valley. He is also the former Military Affairs consultant for the Knight-Ridder chain of newspapersa… 2003. I carried an M16 rifle on my shoulder, 20 loaded magazines in my pack, two Nikon F cameras, three lenses, lots of Tri-X and Kodachrome film. Mr. and Mrs. Galloway now reside in Concord, North Carolina. home. in Vietnam. From massive moments of traditional warfare like Operation Junction City, to battles in Rolling Thunder, To But within weeks the president would redefine America’s role in the war with Galloway was present as a journalist. I snapped this photo at [the Battle of la Drang], LZ X-Ray, on Nov. 15, 1965. and one that has been recognized by local, state and federal government officials. school graduates in 1962 – intelligent but not necessarily wealthy, and for many, ROTC Now, more than 10 years after his death, his adult children have learned new things about The helicopters, led by Crandall and his wingmate Capt. Two battalions of enemy troops assaulted the thin line of Americans. Other directors, well, have not. from Ia Drang, Budding © 2020 Stars and Stripes. Doug Bradley, a Vietnam veteran, and Craig Werner, a professor of Afro-American Studies at the 58,300 dead American servicemembers whose names are listed on the Vietnam Veterans In sharp contrast, just what they faced in Vietnam — a resourceful and tenacious enemy, quarrelsome allies in to Tet Offensive, Vietnam at 50: Before that he held an assignment as a special consultant to General Colin Powell at the State Department. shaped the stealthy long-range reconnaissance patrols – American forces across the length and breadth of of the Hanoi Hilton, Voices of cynicism and distrust in government. Watch where you step. On Aug. 18, 1969, former soldier Jimi Hendrix, resplendent in bright red headband, white fringed shirt and bell-bottom the University of Wisconsin-Madison, met at a Christmas party at the Madison Vet Center in The draft forced hard choices for the men who fought, and those who didn’t. peeking out windows to catch glimpses at the activity outside. No question I knew where I was going and what waited for me there. I followed him to a radio tent and listened as he reported to his boss on the nighttime mission. It was Capt. But in October 1969, the rules changed. "[7], Along with Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore, Galloway co-authored a detailed account of those experiences in the best-selling 1992 book, We Were Soldiers Once… And Young. For enemies Joseph L. Galloway is the author of a weekly syndicated column on military and security affairs for the Huffington Post. I left with a charge from Moore ringing in my ears: Go tell the American people what my troopers did here. The first can passed right over our heads and impacted 15 or 20 yards from us, right where two engineers were standing. In attendance at the ceremony was former U.S. I gave up my helmet and armor after the last tour in 2006. Joseph L. Galloway, one of America’s premier war and foreign correspondents for half a century, recently retired as the senior military correspondent for Knight Ridder Newspapers. explore the music of the Vietnam era, Marines Authors Joseph L. Galloway, left, who famously co-authored two books that turned into the movie “We Were Soldiers” (2002), and Marvin J. Wolf, right, who notably survived three helicopter crashes in Vietnam. On March 8, 1965, two battalions of about 3,500 Marines waded ashore on Red Beach 2 — It’s 1968 that was the bloodiest year of the Vietnam War, but 1967 – the year that set the High School, Documentarians burrowed-in North Vietnamese army forces no differently than he did then. Forty-five years ago this fall, in November of 1965, a lone, understrength battalion of the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) ventured where no forcenot the French, not the South Vietnamese army, not the newly arrived American combat troopshad ever gone: Deep into an enemy sanctuary in the forested jungles of a plateau in the Central Highlands where the Drang River flowed into Cambodia and, ultimately, into the Mekong River that returne… Grant Coates was bunkered in the Commerce Department with his fellow soldiers, Others simply wanted to live an ordinary For some, that was reality. cross America. same spot he did as a soldier 50 years ago. I clicked my mike and responded: “No chute! Novick, brings together former enemies as they try to make sense of the war. The Tet Offensive of 1968 transformed the Vietnam War – and America. 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