There was only one U.S. reporter at the battle of Ia Drang Valley in the Vietnam War.
"I had an exclusive, front-row seat on the biggest, bloodiest battle of the war," said Joseph Galloway, senior war correspondent for Knight Ridder Newpapers. "Then it's only a matter of surviving."
Galloway has covered six wars and four Vietnam tours.
He said there are no rules in war except to stay alive to write the story.
"That's sometimes very difficult to do," Galloway said.
The battle of Ia Drang Valley is portrayed in the movie "We Were Soldiers." Barry Pepper plays Galloway, who co-wrote the book.
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The movie was shown Wednesday night in the Anthropology Building. Galloway excused himself three times, because he said some scenes still bring him nightmares after 39 years.
As a war correspondent, he said members of the military never made him feel unwelcome.
"We're a symbol that someone outside the Army or the Marine Corps cares how they live and how they die," Galloway said.
But there are not two sides to a story in war, he said.
"You try to tell the story of the people you are with," Galloway said.
He was among 400 soldiers and surrounded by 2,000 Vietnamese enemies during the battle.
He said having reporters with soldiers and Marines lets Americans know what is done in dirty, dangerous situations.
But being a patriot is one thing, and telling the truth is another, he said.
He made it clear he was a soldier's friend, but he said if he caught soldiers doing something that needlessly endangered the life of other soldiers, he'd skin them alive and salt them.
It didn't happen often. Soldiers knew that was the name of the game, he said.
Hien Le, UNM student, attended the showing of the movie Wednesday night. He said in Vietnam, there are no movies about the war.
It's worse for the Vietnamese, he said, because at least Americans had a home to go back to.
He said the Vietnam War is a memory that continues to haunt his parents.
Galloway will speak again Friday at 7 p.m. at the Anthropology Building Room 163. The movie will not be shown.
