Joseph L. Galloway

Joseph L. Galloway
National Magazine Award (1991) New Media Award of the National VFW for coverage of the Persian Gulf War (1992) Bronze Star Medal (1998) for his actions during the Battle of Ia Drang in 1965[1]

Joseph Lee Galloway (November 13, 1941 – August 18, 2021) was an American newspaper correspondent and columnist. During the Vietnam War, he often worked alongside the American troops he covered and was awarded a

Galloway was born in Bryan, Texas, on November 13, 1941.^[4][5] His father, Joseph,^[5] fought in the U.S. Army during World War II;^[4] his mother was Marian Dewvall.^[5] His family relocated to Refugio, Texas, after his father was employed by Humble Oil upon his return from military service. Galloway initially enrolled in community college in 1959, but dropped out after six weeks to join the Army.^[4] His mother convinced him to go into journalism,^[4] and he subsequently majored in the subject at Victoria College.^[5]

His paternal great-grandfather James Isham Galloway lost his right leg at the

In We Were Soldiers, a 2002 film based on his 1992 book, Galloway is portrayed by actor Barry Pepper.^[4][11]

Actor Edward Burns portrayed him in the miniseries Vietnam in HD,^[12] and Tommy Lee Jones played him in the 2017 film Shock and Awe.^[4][11]

Narration

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.^[13]

Awards

In 1991, Galloway received a

On May 1, 1998, Galloway was decorated with the Bronze Star with "V" device.^[1] The medal was in recognition of his heroism on November 15, 1965, during the Battle of Ia Drang,^[2] the first major battle by U.S. and North Vietnamese troops in the Vietnam War. Galloway was present as a journalist. During the fighting, he risked his own safety to assist wounded soldiers. His actions are depicted in the film We Were Soldiers in which he is portrayed by actor Barry Pepper. He is the only civilian to be awarded the Bronze Star for combat valor for heroism in the Vietnam War from the U.S. Army.^[15]

Personal life

Galloway married his first wife, Theresa Magdalene Null, in September 1966 and they remained married until her death on January 26, 1996, from cancer. Together they had two sons, Joshua and Lee. In 1998, Galloway married Karen Metsker, daughter of Captain Thomas Metsker who was Hal Moore's Intelligence Officer and was killed in action in 1965 at the Battle of Ia Drang in the Vietnam War. After they divorced in 2003,^[16] he married Dr. Gracie Liem Lim Suan Tzu, a friend for more than 45 years, on May 13, 2012, in Las Vegas. In attendance at the ceremony was former U.S. Senator Max Cleland and 7th Cavalry veterans John Henry Irsfeld and Dennis Deal. The Galloways resided in Concord, North Carolina.^[17]

Galloway died on the morning of August 18, 2021, at a hospital in Concord, North Carolina. He was 79, and suffered from a heart attack prior to his death.^[4][11]

References