Dickey Chapelle Under Fire

In the male-dominated world of war journalism, Chapelle fought to be taken seriously. She eventually earned the respect of many of her male colleagues and broke down barriers for future generations of female journalists. She embedded herself with military units on frontlines around the globe, capturing not only the horrors of war but also the camaraderie and everyday routines of service men and women.

Always one to follow the action, Chapelle traveled with Algerian rebels across the North African desert and with Fidel Castro through the jungles of Cuba. She spent two months in a Hungarian prison after being caught smuggling aid to refugees fleeing a Soviet invasion. Beginning in 1961, Chapelle set her lens on Southeast Asia, capturing the growing conflict there, until she was killed while on patrol with the US Marines in Vietnam in April 1965—making her the first female American war correspondent to be killed in action.

For twenty-five years, Chapelle's photographs graced the pages of National Geographic, the National Observer, Life, and other major publications. Chapelle’s tenacity, courage, and compassion shine throughout her work, highlighting the human impact of war while revealing the larger stories beyond the battlefield. Her legacy lives on through this powerful collection from the Wisconsin Historical Society's photographic archives.

“This book is a touching tribute to Dickey Chapelle and portrays the strong sense of purpose that propelled her to cover the wars of her generation. Her rare photographs show the complexities, harsh reality, and consequences of war, while the story of her life is testament to the challenges and sacrifices involved in being a female war photographer at that time. Dickey Chapelle was an unparalleled talent among photographers of both sexes, and this book is a beautiful collection of her work, intimate and direct.”

—Andrea Bruce, conflict photographer with NOOR Images and contributor to the New York Times, National Geographic, and the Washington Post

“It is difficult for me to believe that a half-century has passed since I emerged from the Ia Drang Valley battles to learn that my friend and mentor, Dickey Chapelle, was killed on patrol with her beloved Marines. Dickey told me the first rule of war reporting: You must survive to get the story out. I had survived, and Dickey had not. I mourn her and all our colleagues who have given their lives in pursuit of the truth about war, and I thank John Garofolo for this labor of love that showcases Dickey’s work, from Iwo Jima to Beirut to Hungary to the Dominican Republic and on to South Vietnam, where she bled to death in the hot sand near Chu Lai. Rest in Peace, my friend.”

—Joseph L. Galloway, co-author of We Were Soldiers Once . . . and Young; We Are Soldiers Still: A Journey Back to the Battlefields of Vietnam; and Triumph Without Victory: The History of the Persian Gulf War