ward swift just (september 5, 1935 – december 19, 2019) was an american writer. he was a war correspondent and the author of 17 novels and many short stories. he was born in michigan city, indiana. benjamin bradlee hired just at "the washington post" as a war correspondent for the vietnam war. his novel "an unfinished season" was a finalist for the pulitzer prize for fiction in 2005. his novel "echo house" was a finalist for the national book award in 1997.