[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 182 (Tuesday, December 15, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S8683]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





    TRIBUTE TO LIEUTENANT GENERAL HAROLD GREGORY ``HAL'' MOORE, JR.

 Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize retired 
LTG Harold ``Hal'' Moore of Auburn, AL, for his lifetime of service to 
the United States of America.
  LTG ``Hal'' Moore is best known as the lieutenant colonel in command 
of the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, at the Battle of Ia Drang, 
in 1965 during the Vietnam war and as the author of ``We Were Soldiers 
Once . . . and Young.'' This book explores the weeklong Battle of Ia 
Drang where Hal served as the battalion commanding officer and led his 
troops personally. It is a magnificent book evidencing his courage, 
leadership, brilliance, and that of his regiment. I read it years ago 
and have not forgotten it.
  Encircled by enemy soldiers and with no clear landing zone that would 
allow them to depart, Moore managed to persevere despite overwhelming 
odds. Moore's belief that ``there is always one more thing you can do 
to increase your odds of success,'' along with the courage of his 
entire command, are credited with this victory. Hal used the concepts 
of air assault organization and employment that he and his troopers 
learned during their time at Ft. Benning, GA, for the first time in 
actual combat.
  Moore then took the lessons he learned from this initial battle and 
helped instruct future troopers on how to better employ the tactic, 
saving countless lives going forward. During the Battle of Ia Drang, 
Moore was referred to as ``Yellow Hair'' by his troops, for his blond 
hair, and as a tongue-in-cheek tribute referencing GEN George Armstrong 
Custer, commander of the same 7th Cavalry at the Battle of the Little 
Bighorn just under a century before.
  For his actions, Hal was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the 
second highest military decoration of the U.S. Army. After the Battle 
of Ia Drang, Moore was promoted to colonel and subsequently took 
command of the 3rd Brigade, commonly referred to as the Garry Owen 
Brigade.
  After his service in the Vietnam war, Moore served in various 
assignments until his retirement from the Army, as a lieutenant general 
on August 1, 1977, after completing 32 years of active service. Today 
he remains an ``honorary colonel'' of the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry 
Regiment.
  Along with the book he wrote, Hal is remembered in the 2007 book 
written by his volunteer driver, ``A General's Spiritual Journey,'' and 
in the 2013 biography by author Mike Guardia, ``Hal Moore: A Soldier 
Once . . . and Always.'' Moore has also been designated a Distinguished 
Graduate by the West Point Association of Graduates and has a 3-mile 
stretch of Highway 280 in Lee County, AL, named in his honor.
  Lieutenant General Moore splits time between Auburn, AL, and Crested 
Butte, CO. He continues to involve himself in his community. I am proud 
to call LTG Harold ``Hal'' Moore a fellow Alabamian and to acknowledge 
and celebrate his long and distinguished life.

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