Joseph L. Galloway facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joseph L. Galloway
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Galloway in 2017
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Joseph Lee Galloway
November 13, 1941 Bryan, Texas, U.S.
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| Died | August 18, 2021 (aged 79) Concord, North Carolina, U.S.
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| Occupation | Journalist, author |
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Joseph Lee Galloway (born November 13, 1941 – died August 18, 2021) was an American journalist and writer. He was known for covering wars, especially the Vietnam War. During the Vietnam War, he often worked very closely with American soldiers. In 1998, he received the Bronze Star Medal for his bravery. This medal was given to him because he carried a badly wounded soldier to safety during a battle in 1965, even while under heavy enemy fire.
From 2013 until he passed away, Galloway was a special advisor for the Vietnam War 50th anniversary project. He also advised Ken Burns on a TV documentary about the Vietnam War, which aired in 2017 on PBS. He worked as a military expert for big newspaper companies like Knight-Ridder and McClatchy Newspapers.
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Early Life and Family History
Joseph Lee Galloway was born in Bryan, Texas, on November 13, 1941. His father, Joseph, served in the United States Army during World War II. His mother was Marian Dewvall. After his father returned from the military, his family moved to Refugio, Texas. His father worked for Humble Oil there.
In 1959, Galloway started college but left after just six weeks to join the Army. However, his mother convinced him to try journalism instead. He then studied journalism at Victoria College.
Galloway had a unique family history related to war. His great-grandfather, James Isham Galloway, lost his right leg in the American Civil War at the Second Battle of Bull Run. His other great-grandfather, James William Reid, lost his left leg at the Battle of the Wilderness. After the war, these two men, who lived on neighboring farms, would meet once a year. They would go to town to buy one pair of boots together and split them. They thought it was funny how they "tricked" the shopkeeper.
Journalism Career
Galloway began his career at The Victoria Advocate newspaper in Victoria, Texas. After that, he worked for United Press International (UPI) in Kansas City and Topeka. He later became a leader of news offices or a regional manager in many places around the world. These places included Tokyo, Vietnam, Jakarta, New Delhi, Singapore, Moscow, and Los Angeles.
He was a reporter for UPI during the early part of the Vietnam War in 1965. Thirty-three years later, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal. This was for his heroic actions on November 15, 1965. During the Battle of Ia Drang at Landing Zone X-Ray in Vietnam, he helped rescue a badly wounded soldier while under enemy fire.
Galloway retired in January 2010 as a weekly writer for McClatchy Newspapers. He wrote that he loved being a reporter. He said he loved it when they got the story right and understood when they made mistakes. He also mentioned that the people he covered and worked with were important to him over his 50-year career.
Books and Writing
Joseph Galloway co-wrote a famous book with Lt. Gen. Hal Moore called We Were Soldiers Once… And Young. This book, published in 1992, tells a detailed story of their experiences in the Vietnam War. It became a best-seller.
In 2008, a second book was released, called We Were Soldiers Still: A Journey Back to the Battlefields of Vietnam. Moore and Galloway talked about this book at the Pritzker Military Museum & Library in September 2008.
Awards and Recognition
Galloway received several awards for his journalism and bravery:
- In 1991, he won a National Magazine Award. This was for an article in U.S. News & World Report about the Ia Drang battles in Vietnam.
- In 1992, he received the New Media Award from the National VFW. This was for his reporting on the Persian Gulf War for U.S. News.
- In 1999, the Vietnam Veterans of America gave him and Gen. Hal Moore the Excellence in the Arts Award. This was for his journalism and for their book We Were Soldiers Once and Young.
- In 2002, he received the Robert Denig Award for Exceptional Service. This award came from the U.S. Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Assn.
- In 2005, he received the Tex McCrary Award from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.
On May 1, 1998, Galloway was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with a "V" device. The "V" stands for valor, meaning great courage in battle. This medal recognized his heroism on November 15, 1965. This was during the Battle of Ia Drang, which was the first major battle between U.S. and North Vietnamese troops in the Vietnam War. Galloway was there as a journalist. During the intense fighting, he risked his own safety to help wounded soldiers. His brave actions are shown in the movie We Were Soldiers, where actor Barry Pepper plays him. He is the only civilian to receive the Bronze Star for combat bravery from the U.S. Army for his actions in the Vietnam War.
Personal Life
Joseph Galloway married his first wife, Theresa Magdalene Null, in September 1966. They were married until she passed away from cancer on January 26, 1996. They had two sons, Joshua and Lee.
In 1998, Galloway married Karen Metsker. Karen was the daughter of Captain Thomas Metsker, who was an intelligence officer for Hal Moore and was killed in action in 1965 at the Battle of Ia Drang. After they divorced in 2003, he married Dr. Gracie Liem Lim Suan Tzu on May 13, 2012. She had been a friend for over 45 years. The wedding took place in Las Vegas. Former U.S. Senator Max Cleland and two 7th Cavalry veterans, John Henry Irsfeld and Dennis Deal, attended the ceremony. The Galloways lived in Concord, North Carolina.
Joseph Galloway passed away on the morning of August 18, 2021. He was 79 years old and had suffered a heart attack before his death.
