He is known as a Vietnam War hero, a highly decorated U.S. Army leader involved in two wars. He's an accomplished author, athletic, humble and has a great sense of humor.
However, to Greg Moore, Steve Moore, Julie Orlowski, Cecile Rainey and David Moore, his five children, Lt. Gen. Hal Moore is first and foremost a Christian, husband, father and grandfather.
Hal and his wife, Julia Compton Moore, who passed away in 2005, retired to Auburn, where Julia's family lived. Hal celebrated his 91st birthday Wednesday, Feb. 13.
Growing up, Hal's children were not privy to the dangerous nature of his involvement in the Vietnam War, from which his leadership in the 1965 Battle of Ia Drang inspired the movie "We Were Soldiers" starring Mel Gibson.
"Even to this day, at the age of 91 he won't talk about his time in Vietnam," Greg said. "The only way you'll find out is, as he always says to people who ask him, 'read the book.'"
Hal co-wrote "We Were Soldiers Once...and Young" with Joe Galloway, a combat reporter during the Vietnam war. Published in 1992, the book provided Hal's children with information of their father's deployments and involvement in the Vietnam War, memories he hadn't previously shared with them.
Galloway was in Vietnam for seven months before he entered the Ia Drang valley. Although he entered the war as an undecorated reporter, Galloway left Vietnam as the only civilian honored by the U.S. Army with the Bronze Star with V for Valor. Galloway said Hal and he left Vietnam brothers and have been friends ever since.
"I can't think what my life would have been like without Hal Moore in it," Galloway said. "The friends and brothers I made in that battle are still friends today. All of us understand that if Hal Moore had not been as fine a commander, as intuitive and brilliant at the tactics and strategy of battle, none of us would have survived those days and nights in the Ia Drang."
Though Hal did not speak much of his wartime, Steve said he found out about it earlier when he went through the Army Command and General Staff College in Ft. Leavenworth, Kan.
"Dad was always just dad. We knew he'd done Army things and was a three-star general, but I certainly wasn't aware of his impact on military history until I was at that Army school," Steve said.
Julie said she didn't realize the significance until they saw the reaction the book's publication garnered.
After reading the book, Cecile said it reiterated what she had always thought of her father's leadership skills.
"I learned of his love for his soldiers, and that he would have given his life for any one of them to keep them alive," Cecile said. "To this day, he is guilty that he was not killed on the battlefield so another could survive."
Moore's book was turned into the movie, "We Were Soldiers," starring Mel Gibson as Hal and Madeleine Stowe as his wife, Julia.
"My father says the movie, although is not historically accurate, it does accurately reflect his love for his soldiers and the discipline and courage of the soldiers," David said. "He says that's what mattered more than anything."
Hal's granddaughter, Alida Moore, said the entire family attended the movie premiere when it released in 2002.
"I remember Granddaddy leaving the theater pretty much when the battle scenes began," Alida said. "I think that's not because it's too graphic or violent, but because the memories are too raw. He says he'll never forgive himself for the loss of his troopers, and I don't believe that he ever will."
Hal is a man with many accolades, including a Distinguished Service Cross, although he's not the type to talk about them.
"Most military guys don't brag about what they've done or where they've been," Steve said. "He's got a room with all his mementos, but that never existed until he and mom retired in Auburn. Growing up, that was all invisible."
Describing her parents' marriage as an example of how marriage should be, Julie said family is the most important thing to Hal.
"His family is everything to him, always has been. Everything. My mother was everything to him," Julie said. "The two of them together had probably one of the best marriages I've ever seen it. It's cliche and I hate the word, but they truly were soul mates. He misses her every day."
Hal's military career didn't provide him with much time to spend with his children, but when he could, his focus was solely on them.
"He would never have time to see us play football or go to our childhood events," Greg said. "When he had time for us, those were the most special moments. The moments I remember best is when he would take my brother and I skiing at night in Norway."
Julie said the times she and her sister dancing on Hal's toes were her favorite.
"We would stand on his feet, and he would dance around the room with us on his feet," Julie said. "My 8th grade dance, all the girls wanted to dance with my dad because he was the best one. All of my friends wanted to dance with him."
Alida said she likes the creativity in his humor. She said when she was little, Hal would go running with her family's Dalmatian, Dottie dog.
"He wrote a poem to Dottie about what it was like for them to run together, and he called himself Captain Fun," Alida said. "He's always super creative like that, and that's one of my favorite things about him."
Although they've grown up and moved, the Moore family still keeps up-to-date with each other's lives.
"We are all on group texts together, and we have a weekly family conference call with dad to keep him up to speed on everything going on in our lives," Cecile said.
David said that Hal has three phrases that they call 'Dad's Rules.' These phrases have been constant guidance for them throughout their lives.
"There's three of them that he often repeated throughout our lives: there's always one more thing you can do to influence the situation in your favor, three strikes and you're not out and there's nothing wrong when there's nothing wrong, except that there's nothing wrong," David said. "Basically, that goes along the lines of always be prepared."
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