Editing Hal Moore (section)

==Military service==

===West Point===
Moore received his appointment to the U.S. Military Academy shortly after the United States entered into World War II. He reported to West Point for "Reception Day" on July 15, 1942, and the summer training referred to as "Beast Barracks" held before the formal academic school term took up in the fall.<ref name="Guardia pg20">{{harvnb|Guardia|2013|pp=20–29}}</ref><ref name="Moore2008p73">{{Harvp|Moore|Galloway|2008|p=[https://archive.org/details/wearesoldierssti0000moor/page/73/mode/2up 73]}}</ref> During his [[Plebs#Cadets in America|plebe]] summer at Pine Camp, he qualified as an expert on the [[M1 Garand|M-1 Garand rifle]] and was the top scorer in his company.<ref name="Guardia pg20"/> Although Moore did well in most of his classes, he was academically deficient in the required math subjects and he had to redouble his efforts to absorb the engineering, physics and chemistry, often studying two or three hours past lights out to memorize the material.<ref name="Guardia pg20"/><ref name="Moore2008p162">{{Harvp|Moore|Galloway|2008|p=[https://archive.org/details/wearesoldierssti0000moor/page/162/mode/2up 162]}}</ref> 

In the fall of 1942, his class received the news that because of the war, his class would graduate in three years rather than the usual four years. Moore made it through the plebe year, but just barely, as he put it, it was "an academic trip from hell." This observation caused Moore to lead a student's life at West Point devoted to studying, with few extracurricular activities.<ref name="Guardia pg20"/> After a ten-day [[Leave (military)|furlough]], he reported to [[Camp Popolopen#Lake Popolopen|Camp Popolopen]] for summer military training, where his company trained with vehicles and fired many types of weapons.{{#tag:ref|The name of Camp Popolopen was changed to Camp Buckner after World War II to honor General [[Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr.]], who was killed in action during the closing days of the [[Battle of Okinawa]].|group=Note}} The summer ended with maneuvers held again at Pine Camp.<ref name="Guardia pg20"/> 

In his second year at the academy, he studied more complicated subjects like calculus, electrical engineering, thermodynamics and historic military campaigns. Wednesdays were spent watching the latest ''Staff Combat Film Report'', which reported the most recent fighting from the Pacific and European war fronts. Summer military training after his second year consisted of touring U.S. Army basic training centers to study tactics and techniques.<ref name="WPAoG" /><ref name="Guardia pg20"/>

His final academic year was spent studying military history and tactics as the war was winding down in Europe. Just before graduation, each cadet selected his branch of assignment, dependent upon their academic standing in the class and the quota of openings in each branch. Moore was in the bottom fifteen percent and he wanted an infantry assignment. When his name was finally called to declare, there were still infantry openings available. Moore graduated from West Point on June 5, 1945, and he was commissioned as a [[Second lieutenant#United States|second lieutenant]] in the infantry branch.<ref name="WPAoG" /><ref name="Guardia pg20"/>

===Post-World War II===
Moore's first assignment after graduation was the Infantry Officer Basic Course at [[Fort Moore|Fort Benning]], Georgia, which was a six-week course. During the basic course he applied for the airborne jump school at Fort Benning. He was not selected, and was instead assigned to the three-week jump school held at the [[11th Airborne Division (United States)|11th Airborne Division]] in [[Tokyo|Tokyo, Japan]].<ref name="Guardia pg30">{{harvnb|Guardia|2013|pp=30–36}}</ref> His first assignment out of jump school was with the [[187th Infantry Regiment (United States)|187th Glider Infantry Regiment]] at Camp Crawford near [[Sapporo, Japan]] from 1945 until 1948.<ref name="Guardia pg30"/> 

After seven months as company commander, he was assigned as Camp Crawford's construction officer and responsible for all of the construction improvements being made at the camp.<ref name="Guardia pg40">{{harvnb|Guardia|2013|p=40}}</ref> In June 1948, he was reassigned to the [[82nd Airborne Division (United States)|82nd Airborne Division]], at [[Fort Bragg (North Carolina)|Fort Bragg]]. He volunteered to join the Airborne Test Section, a special unit testing experimental parachutes. In November 1948, he made the first of some 150 jumps with the section over the next two years.<ref name="WPAoG" /><ref name="Guardia pg45">{{harvnb|Guardia|2013|pp=45–46}}</ref> Over the course of his career, he became a jumpmaster, with over 300 jumps.<ref name="Gathering of Eagles biography">{{cite web|url=http://www.au.af.mil/au/goe/eagle_bios/2007/moore_2007.asp|title=Harold G. "Hal" Moore  |format=Eagle Biography |website=The Air University |year=2007|url-status=dead|access-date=June 4, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530053602/http://www.au.af.mil/au/goe/eagle_bios/2007/moore_2007.asp|archive-date=May 30, 2013}}</ref><ref name="Jumpmaster">{{cite web |url=https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/watch-we-were-soldiers.html | title=Footage: "We Were Soldiers" Hal Moore Talks About The Battle For Ia Drang | website= War History Online  |first1= Ross  | last1= Barnwell | date=10 Feb 2019 | access-date=3 September 2019 |quote=Moore was to become a “jumpmaster” with over 300 Airborne jumps }}</ref>

===Korean War===
In 1951, amidst the [[Korean War]] (1950–1953), he was ordered to Fort Benning to attend the Infantry Officer's Advanced Course, which would prepare him to command a [[Company (military unit)#United States|company]] or to serve on a [[Battalion#United States Armed Forces|battalion]] staff.<ref name=Guardia58-59>Guardia, pp. 58–59</ref> In June 1952, Moore was assigned to the [[17th Infantry Regiment (United States)|17th Infantry Regiment]] of the [[7th Infantry Division (United States)|7th Infantry Division]]. As a [[Captain (land)|captain]], he commanded a heavy mortar company in combat. He next served as regimental Assistant Chief-of-Staff, Operations and Plans. Moore's promotion to major was put on hold by a policy of the 7th Division commanding general, that stated that no promotion to major would be possible without command of an infantry company in combat. The division commander personally assigned Moore to an infantry company so that Moore could be promoted to major, and thus later become divisional assistant chief-of staff for operations.<ref name=Guardia77-78>Guardia, pp. 77–78</ref>

===Return to the US===
In 1954, Moore returned to West Point and served for three years as an instructor in infantry tactics. While serving as an instructor, Moore taught then-[[Cadet]] [[Norman Schwarzkopf Jr.|Norman Schwarzkopf]], who called Moore one of his "heroes," and cites Moore as the reason he chose the infantry branch upon graduation.<ref name="WPAoG" /><ref name=Guardia85>Guardia, p. 85</ref> (Schwarzkopf later became a [[General (United States)|general]] in the U.S. Army and led the [[Coalition of the Gulf War|U.N. coalition]] forces in the [[Gulf War|Persian Gulf War]] against [[Ba'athist Iraq|Iraq]].<ref name="Guardia85" />) During this assignment, Moore took a personal interest in the battles between the [[French Army]] forces and the [[Viet Minh|Việt Minh]] at [[Điện Biên Phủ]] in Vietnam.<ref name=Guardia86-87>Guardia, pp. 86–87</ref>

In 1956, Moore was assigned to attend the year-long student course at the [[Command and General Staff College]] at [[Fort Leavenworth, Kansas]]. The course prepared majors for the duties of staff officers at the division and corps level.<ref name=Guardia87>Guardia, p. 87</ref> After study at Fort Leavenworth, Moore reported to the Pentagon and the Office, Chief of Research and Development where his initiative and insights were key to the development of new [[Airborne forces|airborne]] equipment and airborne/air assault tactics. In 1960, following graduation from the [[Armed Forces Staff College]] at [[Norfolk, Virginia]], Moore served a three-year tour as [[NATO]] Plans Officer with Headquarters, [[Allied Forces Northern Europe]] in [[Oslo, Norway]].<ref name=Guardia92>Guardia, p. 92</ref>

[[File:Harold G. Moore Jr. Battalion Command Official Photo.jpg|thumb|Moore in 1965]]
In 1964, now a [[lieutenant colonel]], Moore completed the course of study at the [[National War College]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Graduation Exercises|url=http://www.usnwc.edu/NWCSite/media/Graduation-Programs/17-June-1964-Graduation.pdf|website=The United States National War College|access-date=20 January 2014|date=17 June 1964|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130331235910/http://usnwc.edu/NWCSite/media/Graduation-Programs/17-June-1964-Graduation.pdf|archive-date=March 31, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref> while earning a master's degree in International Relations from [[George Washington University]] in [[Washington, DC]]. Moore was transferred to [[Fort Benning]] and commanded 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry later to become a part of [[11th Airborne Division (United States)|11th Air Assault Division]], undergoing air assault and air mobility training and tests.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1410061359235548&set=a.1406632539578430.1073741828.1406627382912279&type=1&theater|title=A Soldier Once...and Always|work=Hal Moore: A Soldier Once. and Always|publisher=Facebook|quote=Lt. Col. Hal Moore in his first command portrait as the CO of 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry (later re-designated: 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry).|access-date=February 6, 2014}}</ref> On July 28, 1965, President [[Lyndon Johnson]] announced that he was sending "the Airmobile Division to Vietnam".<ref name=Guardia103>Guardia, p. 103</ref> 

In July the 11th Air Assault Division was re-designated the [[1st Cavalry Division (United States)|1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile)]] and alerted for deployment to Vietnam.<ref name="Guardia103" /> Moore's battalion was re-designated as 1st Battalion, [[7th Cavalry Regiment]], 1st Cavalry Division, the same regiment that was under the command of Lieutenant Colonel [[George Custer]] when the Irish song ''[[Garryowen (air)|Garry Owen]]'' was adopted as a marching tune.<ref name="Guardia103" /> The "Garry Owen" Brigade left Fort Benning August 14, 1965, and went to [[Republic of Vietnam|South Vietnam]] by way of the [[Panama Canal]] aboard [[USS Admiral Hugh Rodman (AP-126)#Vietnam Crisis Operations|USNS ''General Maurice Rose'']], arriving at the Division's [[An Khê District|An Khê Base Camp]] a month later.<ref name=Guardia105-106>Guardia, pp. 105–106</ref>

===Vietnam War===

====Battle of la Drang====
[[File:Hal Moore, Ia Drang, Nov 1965.jpg|320px|thumb|LTC Hal Moore during the Battle of Ia Drang, November 1965.]]
{{main|Battle of Ia Drang}}
Beginning on November 14, 1965, Lt. Col. Moore led the 1st Battalion, [[7th Cavalry Regiment|7th Cavalry]] of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) in the week-long [[Battle of Ia Drang]]. Encircled by enemy soldiers with no clear [[landing zone]] that would allow them to leave, Moore managed to persevere despite being significantly outnumbered by North Vietnamese Army (NVA) forces that engaged the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry, only two-and-a-half miles away the next day. Moore's dictum that "there is always one more thing you can do to increase your odds of success" and the courage of his entire command are credited by Moore with this outcome.<ref name="Moore2008p162"/> 

Moore was wounded and earned a Purple Heart. Because the wound wasn't serious, he did not believe he was entitled to the medal, and unsuccessfully tried to return it. He never wore the ribbon or the medal on his uniform.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Modinger |first1=John H. |title=Hal Moore A Life in Pictures |url=https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/Military-Review/MR-Book-Reviews/June-2022/Book-Review-002/ |access-date=7 November 2023 |work=[[Army University#Army University Press|Army University Press]] |date=June 10, 2022}}</ref> The blond haired Moore was known as "Yellow Hair" to his troops at the battle at Ia Drang, also a tongue-in-cheek homage referencing the legendary General [[George Armstrong Custer]], who commanded as a lieutenant colonel the same 7th Cavalry Regiment at the [[Battle of the Little Bighorn]] just under a century before.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://army.togetherweserved.com/army/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=220933|title=Moore, Harold ("Yellow Hair"), LTG|year=2011|work=TogetherWeServed|publisher=TogetherWeServed, Inc.|access-date=February 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017115938/http://army.togetherweserved.com/army/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=220933|archive-date=October 17, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Moore was awarded the [[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|Distinguished Service Cross]] for extraordinary heroism at Ia Drang.<ref name="WPAoG" /> After the Battle of the Ia Drang Valley, Moore was promoted to colonel and took over the command of the Garry Owen (3rd) Brigade.<ref name=Guardia141>Guardia, p. 141</ref>

===Post-Vietnam War service===

After his service in the [[Vietnam War]], Moore served at the [[The Pentagon|Pentagon]] as the military liaison to the Assistant Secretary for International Affairs in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense.<ref name=Guardia159>Guardia, p. 159</ref> In his next assignment the Army sent him to Harvard University, where he completed his [[Master of Arts|M.A.]] in [[International Relations]] in 1968.<ref name=Guardia160-161>Guardia, pp. 160–161</ref> Having completed his work at Harvard, Moore reported back to the Pentagon to work with the Deputy Chief-of-Staff for Operations. He then helped draft the Army plan for the withdrawal of two brigades of the [[9th Infantry Division (United States)|9th Infantry Division]] to the United States as a part of the [[Vietnamization]] of the war effort.<ref name="Guardia160-161" /> 

In August 1968, Moore was promoted to the rank of brigadier general.<ref name=Guardia162>Guardia, p. 162</ref> In July 1969, he was assigned as assistant chief of staff, operations and plans, of the [[Eighth United States Army|Eighth Army]] in [[South Korea]], where tensions were high from [[Korean DMZ Conflict|demilitarized zone incursions]] and drug use and racism among Eighth Army troops were at an all-time high.<ref name=Guardia162-163>Guardia, pp. 162–163</ref> Shortly after becoming commanding general of the [[7th Infantry Division (United States)|7th Infantry Division]], Moore was promoted to major general in 1970 and he and his family moved to [[Camp Casey, South Korea]]. He was charged by General [[John H. Michaelis]], commander, [[United States Forces Korea]], with cleaning up the drug abuse problem and racial strife that were prevalent at the time in the 7th Division.<ref name=Guardia163-169>Guardia, pp. 163–169</ref>

His plan established Officer's Leadership Schools for company-grade officers and an NCO Leadership School for staff sergeants and below as well as issuing an "Equal Opportunity Policy". He backed up the policy with the promise to punish those leaders who discriminated based on race, ethnicity or creed. As a part of the reformation of division morale, he established several different athletic programs, including football, basketball, and boxing.<ref name=Guardia163-169>Guardia, pp. 163–169</ref> In 1971–1973, as commanding general of the Army Training Center at [[Fort Ord]], [[California]], he oversaw extensive experimentation in adapting basic and advanced individual training under [[Project VOLAR]], in preparation for the end of conscription and the institution of the Modern Volunteer Army.<ref name=CMH90-3>Moore and Tuten, pp. 52–59</ref><ref name=Guardia170-175>Guardia, pp. 170–175</ref>  

In August 1973, Moore was assigned as commanding general, US Army Military Personnel Center (MILPERCEN). In 1974, he was appointed deputy chief of staff for personnel, [[United States Department of the Army|Department of the Army]], his last assignment before leaving the army. He dealt with army recruiting issues after the termination of the draft, as well as the orderly reduction of forces after the close of the Vietnam War.<ref name=Guardia180-181>Guardia, pp. 180–181</ref> Moore's next assignment would have been to become the commanding general, [[U.S. Army Japan]], but he decided to retire instead. Moore retired from the army on August 1, 1977, after completing 32 years of active service.<ref name=Guardia181>Guardia, p. 181</ref>