記者와 軍人

기자가 넋두리하듯 이렇게 묻는다.

"기사를 어떻게 써야 할까요."

군인은 이렇게 말한다.

"보질 않았느냐. 본 그대로 쓰게."

 

기자와 군인은 피비린내나는 살륙의 전장에서 만신창이로 살아 남았다.

군인은 승자로, 기자는 비로소 기록자의 입장으로 되돌아온 것이다.

기자가 군인에게 왜 기사를 어떻게 쓸까고 물었을까.

천신만고 끝에 살아남은 전장에서의 전률과 감동 때문일 것이다.

비록 숱한 부하를 잃었지만, 인간미 넘치는 리더십,

그리고 몸소 몸을 내던져 전투를 승리로 이끈 그 군인은 이미 그 기자에겐 영웅 그 자체이다.

그 군인이 기자에게 이렇게 말 할수도 있었을 것이다.

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"그 좀 잘 써 주시게..."

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본 그대로 쓰라는 것과 좀 잘 써달라는 것과의 차이는 엄청난 것이다.

기자가 어떻게 '좀 잘 써달라'는대로 썼다면 어떻게 되었을까.

우선 기자의 감정적인 공치사가 보태져 그 군인은 더 큰 영웅으로 세상에 알려졌을 것이다.

피아간에 수천명이 죽은 그 전투도 그에 따라 상당부분 왜곡되었을 것이다.

그러나 그 군인은 자신의 공명을 택하지 않았다.

기자에게 덧붙인 말은 더 감동적이다.

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"당신이 보질 않았느냐. 나의 부하들이 어떻게 죽어갔는가를... 본 그대로 써 주시오."

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그러면서 울먹이며 하는 말.

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"나는 나 자신을 용서할 수 없다. 내 부하들이 죽었는데 나만 살아 남았다는 것이..."

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1965년 미국의 북월남군과의 첫 교전인 아이드랑 전투는,

현장에서 살아남은 한 기자의 냉철한 눈에 의해 기록으로 남았다.

기자는 '발로 뛰고, 발로 쓰라'는 취재의 금과옥조를 실천했다는 점에서 아직까지도 회자되고 있다.

그러나 그 기자보다 나는 그 군인을 더 크게 본다.

이미 군인으로서 참 군인의 전형이기도 하지만,

역사 앞에서 공명심을 버리고 끝까지 진실을 고수한 참 인간이었다는 점에서 그렇다.

 

두 사람은 후에 아이드랑 전투에 관한 책을 공저로 펴낸다.

제목은 "We Were Soldiers"이다.

이 책은 2002년 영화화됐다. 멜 깁슨이 그 군인으로, 배리 페퍼가 기자로 나온다.

그 군인은 할 무어(Hal Moore) 장군 (당시 중령)이고, 기자는 당시 UPI 종군기자였던 조 갤러웨이(Joe Galloway)다.

두 사람은 은퇴한 후 만년에도 가끔씩 만나는 등 친분관계를 유지했다.

무어 장군은 2017년 별세했다.

 

 

 

 

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	"Joe Galloway is the finest combat correspondent of our generation---a soldier's reporter and a soldier's friend." -Gen. (ret.) H. Norman Schwarzkopf- ​ "I looked over and saw Joe Galloway sitting with his back against a small tree, camera in his lap, rifle across his knees. I knew why I was there. I'm a professional military man and it's my job. But what the hell was HE doing there? Turned out he was doing his job too." -Lt. Gen. (ret.) Hal Moore-
"Joe Galloway has more time in combat, under fire, than anyone wearing a uniform today. He rode along on the 24th Division's tank charge through 250 miles of the western Iraq desert in the Persian Gulf War, and did a splendid job of telling the story." Gen. (ret.) Barry McCaffrey
A native Texan, Joseph L. Galloway joined United Press International as a reporter in 1961. During 22 years with UPI, he served in news bureaus in Kansas City, Topeka, Tokyo and Saigon, and was chief of bureau in Jakarta, New Delhi, Singapore, Moscow and Los Angeles. ​ Galloway served a 16-month tour as a war correspondent in Vietnam beginning in April of 1965 shortly after the first American combat troops landed on China Beach in Danang. He returned to Vietnam on three other tours in 1971, 1973 and again in 1975 when he covered the fall of Cambodia and South Vietnam. ​ In addition to Vietnam duty Galloway covered the 1971 India-Pakistan War and half a dozen other regional conflicts during 15 years of foreign service. Galloway joined U.S. News & World Report as West Coast editor in 1982. He later became a senior writer based at the magazine's Washington, D.C., headquarters. In 1990-91 Galloway returned to duty as a war correspondent in the Persian Gulf and accompanied the Army's 24th Mech Infantry Division on its tank charge through the western Iraq desert. Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf who has known him in two wars calls Galloway "the finest combat correspondent of our generation---a soldier's reporter and a soldier's friend." Joe later joined McClatchy Newspapers as Senior Military Corresondent. He is now semi-retired, though still writing a weekly column, and has recently issued, along with LTG. Hal Moore, a sequel to "We Were Soldiers Once....and Young". "We Are Soldiers Still" was published in September 2008 by Random House and is receiving critical acclaim. ​ Galloway received the 1991 National Magazine Award for an Oct. 29, 1990, U.S. News cover story marking the 25th anniversary of the first major battle of the Vietnam War, and the 1992 News Media Award of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States for his coverage of the Persian Gulf War. In 1999 he received the President's Award for the Arts of the Vietnam Veterans of America. In 2000 he was decorated with the U.S. Army Infantry Association's Order of St. Maurice, the patron saint of the Infantry. Galloway is co-author of two books: Triumph Without Victory: The History of the Persian Gulf War, published in 1992 by Times Books---and the New York Times bestseller "We Were Soldiers Once and Young" published in late 1992 by Random House. ​ During the course of researching WWSOAY Galloway returned to Vietnam three times for interviews, including several with Senior General Vo Nguyen Giap. "We Were Soldiers Once...and Young", written with Army Lt. Gen. Hal Moore is a detailed accounting of the Ia Drang Campaign, the first major clash between American and North Vietnamese regular troops in November 1965, and the bloodiest of any battle fought during the entire war. Moore commanded one of the battalions in the Ia Drang, and Galloway, then a 24-year-old reporter, was on the ground throughout the action. The book is the basis for the movie, We Were Soldiers, which stars Mel Gibson with Barry Pepper playing the role of Galloway, and Greg Kinnear as Maj. Bruce Crandall. ​ On May 1, 1998, the Army awarded Galloway a belated Bronze Star with V for rescuing a badly wounded soldier under heavy fire in the Ia Drang Valley on 15 November 1965. His is the only such medal of valor awarded to a civilian by the Army during the Vietnam War. Galloway is a member of the board of advisers of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund and the 1st Cavalry Division Association; and the board of directors of the non-profit organization No Greater Love. Today Joe Galloway writes a nationally sydicated newspaper column and resides on the Texas coast. ​ Read the citation awarding Joe the Bronze Star with "V" for Valor at: Bronze Star ​ ​

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