BATTLEFIELDLEADER HAL G. THE LEGACY AND LESSONS MOF AN AMERICANOORE WARRIOR BY BRIAN M. SOBEL ong before there was a best-selling book and a instantly recognized. He is ushered in to see the commanding major motion picture, Hal Moore was a name general wherever he travels. Young Soldiers and veterans alike familiar to those who studied military leadership. jump at the chance to meet him. He is admired by all who He was the steely-eyed, rock-ribbed young man know his story. who left his hometown of Bardstown, Kentucky, Hal Moore is a force of nature, with a penetrating intellect and L and went on to graduate from West Point, and courage to spare. At 82 years old, he is as busy as ever, spending then fight in Korea and Vietnam. By the end of his remarkable much of his time discussing leadership and lessons he learned in career, Moore achieved the rank of lieutenant general – and the heat of battle. For Moore, the discussions are not an academ- along the way he also became a legend. ic exercise, but a chance to impart information that will save Mention Hal Moore on any Army post and the name is lives. Perhaps he does this to spare even one family the news that 46 * ARMCHAIR GENERAL * SEPTEMBER 2004 model used by the U.S. Army for many years. years. many Armyfor U.S. model usedbythe o particularly combat danger- infantry –made canopy notcovered byjungle of anyarea –typical stands D inVietnam, commander, 3dBrigade Moore, Col. Hal us. The tent in the background, a “GP Small,” was a was a“GPSmall,” background, inthe tent us. The Image provided by Hal Moore inwhich he grass chest-high The ecember 1965. mouth ofhellbecause hetr himintothe follow would and they loved them.loved And The y w ould doan that ything heask is leadership. ul y ed B ATTLEFIELD L EADER their son or daughter will not be coming home from war. At the same time I could finish high school, which I did at night Moore has always believed in the importance of learning more with cab drivers, middle-aged government workers and people about human motivation – how one person compels another to from all walks of life. But mostly [I went to school at night] to take a command or instruction and apply it to a unique setting, spend any spare time I had knocking on the doors of senators and in doing so, achieve success even in the most extreme cir- and congressmen, to see if I could get one of them to assist me cumstances. In November 1965, everything Moore had learned in getting an appointment.” came into play in a heroic battle in the Ia Drang Valley. Later, he While still trying to obtain a congressional appointment to and war correspondent Joseph Galloway recounted the battle West Point, Moore went on to attend George Washington Uni- and the searing memories it provoked in a book with the haunt- versity for nearly two and a half years. Then, because of the ing yet poetic title, We Were Soldiers Once … and Young. The title war, Congress passed a bill in June of 1942 doubling the num- captured the totality of the battle that set the stage for the Amer- ber of appointments to West Point and the Naval Academy. In ican experience in Vietnam. a complicated trade between congressional districts, Moore hile in high school, Moore dreamed of attending the was able to secure an appointment from a Georgia congress- United States Military Academy at West Point. At the man. Laughing, Moore said, “I was appointed out of the Sec- age of 17 he decided to leave Kentucky after receiv- ond Congressional District of Georgia, and I had never W ing less than encouraging replies from a Kentucky stepped foot in the state.” congressman and a United States Senator, both of whom he had The lesson for Moore was clear.“It was simple, yet so impor- contacted regarding an appointment to the Academy. He head- tant,” he explained. “The principle is: Never quit. And more ed to Washington, D.C., to take an entry-level job in the United importantly, in conjunction with those two words is the idea States Senate Warehouse, the repository for the records of Senate that there is always one more thing you can do to influence hearings and other information. Displaying his characteristic any situation in your favor. Always one more thing, and after tenacity and determination, Moore was able to get a foot in the that, still one more thing. I used that principle on the battle- door in Washington. In recalling that time of his life, Moore said, field and in every endeavor of my life.” “My father was of great help because he was responsible, Moore left Washington to attend West Point and found through some political connections, [for] my obtaining the job. the institution to his liking – though the curriculum was Any Soldier who worries that he will be hit is a nuisance. The task and your duty come first. August 1965. Gen. Westmoreland and Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara talk to the commanding gen- eral of the South Viet- namese I Corps in Danang. Westmoreland sought opportunities s p for U.S. troops to r o C e engage the North Viet- n i r a M namese in combat. S . U 48 * ARMCHAIR GENERAL * SEPTEMBER 2004 H AL G. MOORE very difficult for someone whose skills in mathematics thing to do with parachute jumping.” During his first jump, needed fine-tuning. “But I just worked at it, staying up late Moore had what could have been a very serious incident. after taps until one or two in the morning. You just have to Upon leaving the C-46 transport, his chute became entangled want it, and I did very well in English and languages – but on the horizontal stabilizer and he was dragged behind the [I] struggled, then eventually succeeded in math.” plane for two miles at an altitude of 1,500 feet. It eventually hile at West Point, Moore learned lessons that would ripped free and he was able to pull his reserve chute. Moore serve him later in life. “In addition to reading from remembered the incident as a lesson for the future. “Never that great library at West Point, I also watched peo- once in that situation did it cross my mind that I would be W ple very closely. How they led and commanded killed. I knew I would get out of that situation some way.” respect. Then I would read about Napoleon and others, and Another, more harrowing incident occurred as Moore was compare and contrast.” Moore was an astute observer and came testing the XB-14 Free Fall Parachute, designed for air force to some early conclusions: “First, never do anything that takes pilots. His parachute malfunctioned so severely that he was away the self-respect of a person. … Early on at West Point I had able to open his reserve chute only a mere five seconds from a squad leader who was really kind of sadistic. He would scream impact – yet he landed standing and uninjured. Moore, who at us, have us running up and down stairs with a full pack and a had watched films of a similar malfunction that killed a fellow gas mask on, and really for no reason. Then a little later I had test jumper, believed that preparation was the key to his sur- another squad leader who was calm, yet very demanding, fair vival. “I had prepared myself for such an occurrence. And when and square. The contrast was very apparent and I resolved to be it happened to me, I knew exactly what I needed to do to sur- like the latter individual.” vive.” Moore is a veteran of over 300 parachute jumps, of which After graduating from West Point, Moore served in Japan as 135 were done with experimental gear. He remembers that time part of the occupying force. Later as a first lieutenant and in his life as fun and filled with adventure. “I jumped out of all member of the 82d Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North kinds of planes, including the bomb bay of a B-29 and from a Carolina, Moore volunteered for the airborne test section, helicopter, as well.” which involved “jump testing” experimental parachutes and In 1949 Moore married Julie Compton, the daughter of an parachutists’ gear. Moore found that he very much liked “any- Army colonel. By 1952, he was deployed to Korea to the 17th The essence of loyalty is to disagree when need be. Capt. Hal Moore poses in front of a sand- bagged bunker in Febru- ary 1953. At the time, he commanded K Com- pany, 17th Infantry Regiment. His experi- ence leading a rifle company under the harsh Korean condi- e r o o tions proved invaluable M l a H at LZ X-Ray a dozen y b d years later. In Korea, e d i v o Moore learned how to r p e g fight and win against a a m I formidable foe. SEPTEMBER 2004 * ARMCHAIR GENERAL * 49 B ATTLEFIELD L EADER Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. During this 14- While in Korea, Moore faced the Chinese and fought at the month tour, Moore served in various duty positions. He com- battles of Pork Chop Hill, Old Baldy, Alligator Jaws and manded a heavy mortar company and a rifle company, and he Charley Outpost. “This was what was called stabilized line was a regimental operations officer and assistant division staff warfare,” said Moore.