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Family of Bardstown Army leader seeks to rename Fort Benning after parents

The family of a Bardstown native, who served more than three decades in the Army and became a top leader in the Vietnam War, seeks to rename Fort Benning after him.

BARDSTOWN, Ky. — Lt. General Hal Moore's name can be found throughout his hometown in Bardstown, Kentucky. Now his family is hoping to have his name and his wife's name marking their resting place in Fort Benning, Georgia.

This campaign comes after the National Defense Authorization Act mandated earlier this year that the Pentagon must remove all Confederate names from military bases and all properties of the Defense Department within three years. There are 10 U.S. Army bases named for Confederate leaders, including Fort Benning.

"It's really not just about making Fort Benning renamed for Hal and Julie Moore," David Moore, one of the Moores' children, said. "It's about lifting up the idea of the command team and Army families and the value of the Army spouse to the success of the soldier."

Moore was a decorated and prominent leader during the Vietnam War and gained national acclaim for leading U.S. forces in the battle in the Ia Drang Valley, one of the first major battles of the war. Moore also served in the Korean War and retired after 32 years of service in the U.S. Army. 

After his retirement, he co-authored the book "We Were Soldiers Once... And Young," which told the story of his time in Vietnam. The book was later adapted into the movie "We Were Soldiers," where Moore was played by Mel Gibson. Moore died in 2017.

Credit: The Moore Family
Hal Moore

Julie Moore was also a prominent figure for her work with military families, especially with widows. She played a big role in ending the U.S. Army's practice of having taxi cab drivers deliver telegrams to the families of soldiers who were killed, and made it a point to attend all the local funerals of soldiers killed in battle serving under Moore's command. Julie died in 2004.

"Without our mother's contributions, our father would not have been as effective as he could have been," Steve Moore, one of Hal and Julie's children, said.

Moore was born and raised in Bardstown, Kentucky, and his children recall visiting his hometown on family trips.

Credit: The Moore Family
Hal and Julie Moore

"Dad would fondly remember fishing in various places," Steve said. "He took us to a couple of the creeks and lakes that he would fish on and we'd trudge through some of the woods near his home on Stephen Foster Avenue."

Steve and David said they decided to pursue the renaming campaign after several people approached them about renaming Fort Benning after their father. They said they rejected that proposal, insisting both their father and their mother be included if the base was to be renamed in their honor. To date, there are no Army bases named for military spouses or women.

Credit: WHAS-TV
Fort Benning

"Growing up, they were parents first," David said. "And the legendary foundation for what the public knows them for was not what I centered upon."

"Naming Fort Benning for Hal and Julie Moore elevates that sacrifice and finally gives credit to what military families go through in all areas," Steve said.

According to David and Steve, any official recommendation about the renaming of Fort Benning will likely not come until 2022.

More information on the campaign can be found at the website: https://fortmoore.com

Contact reporter Dennis Ting at dting@whas11.com. Follow him on Twitter (@DennisJTing) and Facebook.  

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