UPDATE: There will be a Memorial Service for our esteemed friend and colleague, Joe Galloway, on September 18th at the First Baptist Church, 200 Branchview Dr. SE, Concord, NC. Visitation will begin at 1100 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall, followed by the Memorial Service at 1:00 p.m. in the main chapel. All are welcome.
On Wednesday, August 18, the Nation lost an American icon, and The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration lost a great friend and colleague. Joseph Lee Galloway, renowned war correspondent and co-author of the book, We Were Soldiers Once and Young, passed away that morning at the age of 79.
Born in Bryan, Texas on November 13, 1941, Joe’s family moved to Refugio, Texas, where he became a reporter at the age of seventeen for a local newspaper. By the age of nineteen, he was a bureau chief for United Press International, and at the age of 24, Joe began covering the Vietnam War.
With an eye for the soldiers’ perspective, he knew the only way to capture that viewpoint was to cover the war from the field. In November 1965, Joe found his way to the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry, and became intimately involved in one of the most documented and significant battles of the Vietnam war—the battle at LZ X-ray in the Ia Drang valley. Although it would come years later, Joe was awarded the Bronze Star medal with V device for his valor during this battle. To this day, he is the only civilian to have received this award from the U.S. Army.
Joe covered the Vietnam War in country on four separate occasions. Decades later, he covered the Persian Gulf War. Gen. Schwarzkopf, who led U.S. forces during the Gulf War, once called him "the finest combat correspondent of our generation - a soldiers' reporter and a soldiers' friend."
In the summer of 2012, Joe joined The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration to assist the History & Legacy Branch with collecting video-recorded oral histories of Vietnam veterans. Joe recognized from the beginning that this project would preserve the stories of America’s Vietnam veterans and ensure their legacy of service and sacrifice.
His personal experiences in the Vietnam War, combined with his empathy and compassion for veterans and all they encounter during their service, gave him an instant connection with Vietnam veterans. He empowered them to share their stories, which otherwise would have remained untold and locked away.
Joe will be terribly missed by all who knew and loved him. He leaves behind a legacy of integrity, courage, and compassion for all veterans.
Friedrich Schiller, the 18th century poet, playwright and philosopher, wrote in his play, The Piccolomini,
“And verily it gives a precedent of hope, a spur of action to the whole Corps, if once in their remembrance, an old deserving Soldier makes his way.”
Joe Galloway never wore the uniform of the United States military. But ask any veteran who ever had the privilege of knowing him, and they will tell you that Joe Galloway had the heart, the soul, and the character of a soldier. And they will also tell you, Joe Galloway made his way.
Farewell, dear friend.