Decorated War Correspondent Joins Knight Ridder

By: Updated at 3:10 p.m. EST

Joseph L. Galloway, a veteran war journalist and author, has joined Knight Ridder's Washington bureau, where he will help cover the American military action in the Middle East and advise other Knight Ridder reporters.

With 42 years of reporting experience, Galloway is the co-author of We Were Soldiers Once ... and Young, which was the basis of the film "We Were Soldiers" starring Mel Gibson, released earlier this year. He had four tours in Vietnam and was the only non-pool reporter to ride into battle with the 24th Infantry Division during the Persian Gulf War.

Knight Ridder said he is the only civilian to have been awarded the Bronze Star by the Army during the Vietnam War. Galloway received that honor for rescuing wounded American soldiers in 1965.

Knight Ridder Washington Bureau Chief John Walcott said Galloway "brings a unique voice, writing for the folks back home, for the families of the men and women this country sends into battle."

Galloway's career began at The Victoria (Texas) Daily Advocate. He spent 22 years as a foreign and war correspondent for United Press International, and nearly 20 years at U.S. News & World Report.