Hate War, Love the American Warrior

Lt. Gen. Hal Moore was one of the greatest American military heroes of the 20th Century. He was a fearsome but loyal and compassionate warrior, and a brilliant natural leader whose name is revered at West Point. He will be forever be remembered as the hero of the Battle of the Ia Drang Valley, probably the most important American military engagement of the last 75 years. It was first major encounter between the regular armies of the United States and North Vietnam in mid-November 1965 and probably changed world politics as much as any other military engagement since World War II; it also marked the beginning of airmobile infantry warfare. In the ambush by several thousand North Vietnamese regulars of several hundred American 7th Cavalry, Col. Moore’s brilliant leadership saved what appeared to be a hopeless situation. Along with the superb war reporter and photographer Joseph Galloway, Lt. Gen. Moore wrote the seminal account of Ia Drang, “We Were Soldiers Once… and Young”, a gripping account of heroism, courage, and tragedy - required reading for students of history.