Don Oberdorfer, who was the Washington Post's "ace foreign policy writer," died from complications form Alzheimer's disease. He was 84.

During a 25-year span at the Post, Oberdorfer served as White House, northeast Asia (Vietnam War) and diplomatic correspondent.

Executive editor Ben Bradlee dubbed the "ace" description on Oberdorfer, saying he ranked among "the very best foreign affairs experts."

Oberdorfer, a US army lieutenant who was stationed in Korea, began his journalism career at the Charlotte Observer and Knight Newspapers and joined the Post in 1968.

He retired in 1993 and taught at the Johns Hopkins University's Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies.

Oberdorfer wrote a number of books such as "The Turn: From the Cold War to a New Era: the US and the Soviet Union, 1983-1990" and "The Two Koreas: A Contemporary History."