Lt Gen (Ret) Hal Moore

[GP6971]

has passed. Led the 7th Cavalry in the first major battle with North Vietnamese troops at the battle of the Ira Drang Valley in 1965.

Book and the movie were named "They were Soldiers Once...and Young"

RIP

[braddy]

1. He lived quite a life.

[democratisphere]

2. May he rest in peace.

Thanks for defending our country.

[oasis]

3. American hero.

[jmg257]

4. RIP. Incredible story...excellent book and movie.

[GP6971]

5. My son was Cavalry

and met LT Gen Moore at a formal event about 10 years ago...read receiving line. But my son spent 2 years in the 7th and he is a really revered figure in the 7th.

[pinboy3niner]

6. I dropped by the Ia Drang vets' annual reunion in D.C. the year the book came out

I was 101st, not 7th Cav, but a friend was KIA in the Ia Drang shortly before X-Ray, and at the reunion I found two members of his squad who filled me on the details.

While there, Hal Moore and Joe Galloway signed my book. Afterward most of the Ia Drang vets went in for their banquet, and I ended up drinking beer with a couple men who skipped it. It turned out that my drinking companions were Ernie Savage, the sergeant who ended up in command of the Lost Platoon, and Doc Loos, their platoon medic, who the men put in for the MoH but was awarded the DSC. So they signed my book, too.

[GP6971]

7. One of my history professors in college

was named Dr. Herrick. Father of 2Lt Herrick who was the platoon leader of the lost platoon. I attended Dr. Herrick's courses in 1969 and 1970. Excellent professor and still carried his loss. I was in ROTC and actually talked to him about the Ira Drang a couple of times (we lost a close neighbor in the battle...he was a door gunner) so he could relate.

To this day, no one understands the motive of 2Lt Herrick's orders to his platoon.