HEROES Archive 03: Harold Hal Moore

Distinguished Service Cross Recipient
Lt. Gen. HAROLD G. "HAL" MOORE JR.

Distinguished Service Cross (DSC): It is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, awarded for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree to be above those required for all other U.S. combat decorations but not meeting the criteria for the Medal of Honor. The Distinguished Service Cross is equivalent to the Navy Cross (Navy and Marine Corps) and the Air Force Cross (Air Force).

BIOGRAPHY of HAROLD G. “HAL” MOORE, JR.
[taken from Wikipedia and LZ X-Ray]

Harold Gregory "Hal" Moore, Jr. (born November 29, 1923) is a retired United States Army Lieutenant General. Moore is a recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross which is the second highest military decoration of the United States Army. He was the Lieutenant Colonel in command of the 1st battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, at the Battle of Ia Drang on November 14–16, 1965, in Vietnam. Today he is the "Honorary Colonel" of the Regiment.

Born in Bardstown, Kentucky, Moore's chances of obtaining an appointment to the United States Military Academy were reduced due to the demographics of the area. Moore therefore moved to Washington, D.C. where he completed his high school education, and attended George Washington University for two years before receiving his appointment from a Georgia congressman in 1942 (despite having never before been to Georgia).

He graduated from West Point in 1945 and attended graduate studies at George Washington and Harvard universities obtaining a Masters degree in international relations.

Moore was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1945. Moore was the first of his class (1945) to be promoted to Brigadier General, Major General, and Lieutenant General. He served and commanded at all levels from Platoon through Division. Highlights of his career include:

-Service in the Korean War as a Company Commander and Regimental S3 (7th Div)

-Service in Vietnam as a Battalion and Brigade Commander (1st Cav)

-Commanding General of the 7th Inf Div in Korea

-Commander of Ft Ord, CA

-Service as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, Department of the Army

Hal Moore is best known for the Battle of Ia Drang, portrayed in the 2002 film We Were Soldiers and well-detailed in the 1992 book We Were Soldiers Once… And Young. The Battle of Ia Drang began in November of 1965 when 450 men of the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry were dropped into a small clearing in the Ia Drang Valley. Unbeknownst to Moore and his commanders, this clearing was adjacent to more than 4,000 North Vietnamese soldiers, who quickly surrounded the small unit. Encircled by enemy soldiers with no clear landing zone (LZ) that would allow them to leave, Lieutenant Colonel Moore managed to persevere despite overwhelming odds that led to a sister battalion only two-and-a-half miles away being massacred. Moore's dictum that "there is always one more thing you can do to increase your odds of success" and the perseverance and courage of his entire command are credited with this astounding outcome. Importantly, despite the fact that Moore's spirited defense led to more than a 4-to-1 ratio between North Vietnamese casualties and US casualties, Moore considers the battle a draw because the US left the area and allowed the North Vietnamese to reassert control.

Hal Moore retired from the Army as a 3 Star General in 1977 with over 32 years active service.

Most Generals have a laundry list of awards and decorations a mile long. The awards most important to Moore are:

    -Appointment to the Honorary Grade of Rifle Platoon Sergeant by the Sergeants-Major of the 3rd Brigade, 1st CAV in Vietnam
    -2 awards of the Combat Infantryman's Badge
    -Distinguished Service Cross
    -Master Paratrooper

After his retirement from active duty in 1977, Hal became the Executive Vice President of the Crested Butte Ski Area in Crested Butte, CO.

Hal Moore and his deceased wife, Julia Compton Moore, have five children and numerous grandchildren.

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