기자가넋두리하듯이렇게묻는다.
"기사를어떻게써야할까요."
군인은이렇게말한다.
"보질않았느냐.본그대로쓰게."
기자와군인은피비린내나는살륙의전장에서만신창이로살아남았다.
군인은승자로,기자는비로소기록자의입장으로되돌아온것이다.
기자가군인에게왜기사를어떻게쓸까고물었을까.
천신만고끝에살아남은전장에서의전률과감동때문일것이다.
비록숱한부하를잃었지만,인간미넘치는리더십,
그리고몸소몸을내던져전투를승리로이끈그군인은이미그기자에겐영웅그자체이다.
그군인이기자에게이렇게말할수도있었을것이다.
"그좀잘써주시게."
본그대로쓰라는것과좀잘써달라는것과의차이는엄청난것이다.
기자가어떻게’좀잘써달라’는대로썼다면어떻게되었을까.
우선기자의감정적인공치사가보태져그군인은더큰영웅으로세상에알려졌을것이다.
피아간에수천명이죽은그전투도그에따라상당부분왜곡되었을것이다.
그러나그군인은자신의공명을택하지않았다.
기자에게덧붙인말은더감동적이다.’
"당신이보질않았느냐.나의부하들이어떻게죽어갔는가를…본그대로써주시오."
그러면서울먹이며하는말.
"나는나자신을용서할수없다.내부하들이죽었는데나만살아남았다는것이…"
1965년미국의북월남군과의첫교전인아이드랑전투는,
현장에서살아남은한기자의냉철한눈에의해기록으로남았다.
기자는’발로뛰고,발로쓰라’는취재의금과옥조를실천했다는점에서아직까지도회자되고있다.
그러나그기자보다나는그군인을더크게본다.
이미군인으로서참군인의전형이기도하지만,
역사앞에서공명심을버리고끝까지진실을고수한참인간이었다는점에서그렇다.
두사람은후에아이드랑전투에관한책을공저로펴낸다.
제목은"WeWereSoldiers"이다.
이책은2002년영화화됐다.멜깁슨이그군인으로,배리페퍼가기자로나온다.
그군인은할무어장군(당시중령)이고,기자는당시UPI종군기자였던조갤러웨이다.
두사람은현재도가끔씩만난다고한다.
-Gen.(ret.)H.NormanSchwarzkopf-
"IlookedoverandsawJoeGallowaysittingwithhisbackagainstasmalltree,camerainhislap,rifleacrosshisknees.IknewwhyIwasthere.I’maprofessionalmilitarymanandit’smyjob.ButwhatthehellwasHEdoingthere?Turnedouthewasdoinghisjobtoo."
-Lt.Gen.(ret.)HalMoore-
Gen.(ret.)BarryMcCaffrey
Gallowayserveda16-monthtourasawarcorrespondentinVietnambeginninginAprilof1965shortlyafterthefirstAmericancombattroopslandedonChinaBeachinDanang.HereturnedtoVietnamonthreeothertoursin1971,1973andagainin1975whenhecoveredthefallofCambodiaandSouthVietnam.
InadditiontoVietnamdutyGallowaycoveredthe1971India-PakistanWarandhalfadozenotherregionalconflictsduring15yearsofforeignservice.GallowayjoinedU.S.News&WorldReportasWestCoasteditorin1982.Helaterbecameaseniorwriterbasedatthemagazine’sWashington,D.C.,headquarters.In1990-91GallowayreturnedtodutyasawarcorrespondentinthePersianGulfandaccompaniedtheArmy’s24thMechInfantryDivisiononitstankchargethroughthewesternIraqdesert.Gen.H.NormanSchwarzkopfwhohasknownhimintwowarscallsGalloway"thefinestcombatcorrespondentofourgeneration—asoldier’sreporterandasoldier’sfriend."JoelaterjoinedMcClatchyNewspapersasSeniorMilitaryCorresondent.Heisnowsemi-retired,thoughstillwritingaweeklycolumn,andhasrecentlyissued,alongwithLTG.HalMoore,asequelto"WeWereSoldiersOnce….andYoung"."WeAreSoldiersStill"waspublishedinSeptember2008byRandomHouseandisreceivingcriticalacclaim.
Gallowayreceivedthe1991NationalMagazineAwardforanOct.29,1990,U.S.Newscoverstorymarkingthe25thanniversaryofthefirstmajorbattleoftheVietnamWar,andthe1992NewsMediaAwardoftheVeteransofForeignWarsoftheUnitedStatesforhiscoverageofthePersianGulfWar.In1999hereceivedthePresident’sAwardfortheArtsoftheVietnamVeteransofAmerica.In2000hewasdecoratedwiththeU.S.ArmyInfantryAssociation’sOrderofSt.Maurice,thepatronsaintoftheInfantry.Gallowayisco-authoroftwobooks:TriumphWithoutVictory:TheHistoryofthePersianGulfWar,publishedin1992byTimesBooks—andtheNewYorkTimesbestseller"WeWereSoldiersOnceandYoung"publishedinlate1992byRandomHouse.
DuringthecourseofresearchingWWSOAYGallowayreturnedtoVietnamthreetimesforinterviews,includingseveralwithSeniorGeneralVoNguyenGiap."WeWereSoldiersOnce…andYoung",writtenwithArmyLt.Gen.HalMooreisadetailedaccountingoftheIaDrangCampaign,thefirstmajorclashbetweenAmericanandNorthVietnameseregulartroopsinNovember1965,andthebloodiestofanybattlefoughtduringtheentirewar.MoorecommandedoneofthebattalionsintheIaDrang,andGalloway,thena24-year-oldreporter,wasonthegroundthroughouttheaction.Thebookisthebasisforthemovie,WeWereSoldiers,whichstarsMelGibsonwithBarryPepperplayingtheroleofGalloway,andGregKinnearasMaj.BruceCrandall.
OnMay1,1998,theArmyawardedGallowayabelatedBronzeStarwithVforrescuingabadlywoundedsoldierunderheavyfireintheIaDrangValleyon15November1965.HisistheonlysuchmedalofvalorawardedtoacivilianbytheArmyduringtheVietnamWar.GallowayisamemberoftheboardofadvisersoftheVietnamVeteransMemorialFundandthe1stCavalryDivisionAssociation;andtheboardofdirectorsofthenon-profitorganizationNoGreaterLove.TodayJoeGallowaywritesanationallysydicatednewspapercolumnandresidesontheTexascoast.
ReadthecitationawardingJoetheBronzeStarwith"V"forValorat:
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