Small Wars Journal

General Hal Moore

Mon, 06/28/2010 - 9:10pm
General Hal Moore - Steven Pressfield interview with the General.

I met General Hal Moore a few years ago, at a dinner in his honor in Los Angeles, around the time the movie We Were Soldiers was released. Both Joe Galloway and General Moore signed a copy of their book We Were Soldiers Once . . . And Young for me. General Moore added a note, citing a quote from my book, Gates of Fire, which he said reminded him of LZ X-Ray and his warriors in that fight. It was the quote about "Any army can win when it still has its legs under it; what counts is what they do when all strength has fled and they must produce victory on will alone." That note means a great deal. Decades earlier, he and the 1st battalion, 7th U.S. Cavalry kept their legs under them during the battle of Ia Drang, and produced victory. And General Moore has continued standing strong since. A special thank you to Joe Galloway for providing the pictures accompanying this post...

Read the entire interview.

Comments

RH (not verified)

Fri, 01/28/2011 - 5:30pm

General Hal Moore wrote a followup book several years ago entitled.."We are Soldiers Still". I picked it up passing through Ramstein AB in Germany..

That said, the book is about Moore and Galloway plus several of his "Lt's" joined by several NVA commanders that 1/7th fought that historical day.

When Mrs. Moore became ill..she asked General Moore to have her buried "with her boys". There was an available space for a wife of one of the soldiers killed at LZ Xray...she granted General Moore's request to have his beloved wife buried with those who lost their lives along time ago...she knew most and as the film shows...she delivered the Western Union notices of members killed. So well written..and one can feel the intense love between the Moore's..but, moreover, the two never forgot about the battle...now so famous.

General Moore does speak to the issues of Iraq and Afghanistan...you will have to read the book...

Wishing General Moore 2011.

Bosnia/Croatia/1996-99/Paktia/Khost-2003;Iraq/2005;HOA/2002 & 2008

wow! I have just read so many things about you I so impressed. I am a military widow and have been for 26 years my husband was 1sg in ADA. had been in the military for 24 years. I miss the military. but that is not my point my farther just passed away at the age of 94 he was a hero in wwII I found all kinds of diaries from him bombing raids, flight schudle. very interesting read to me he flew 51 missions. over africa and, Italy he flew for gen Jimmie Dolittle. I want to put some wwII book together but not my expertise can you give a word to help me start, Thank You General, I wish I knew you sir, I do a gen moore from ft ord, any relation. thanks Jaki

slapout9 (not verified)

Mon, 06/28/2010 - 11:56pm

Mr Pressfield you might want to do an updated interview with him again. General Moore lives in Auburn,Al.and he is none to happy about our involvement in Afghanistan.