George Fleming Moore (July 31, 1887 – December 2, 1949) was a decorated officer of the United States Army with the rank of major general. General Moore commanded the Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays and the Philippine Coast Artillery during the Battle of Bataan.[1]
George Fleming Moore | |
|---|---|
 Major General George Fleming Moore | |
| Born | July 31, 1887 Austin, Texas |
| Died | December 2, 1949 (aged 62) Hillsborough, California |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1909–1949 |
| Rank |  Major General |
| Commands | Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays |
| Battles / wars | World War I World War II |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Cross Distinguished Service Medal (2) |
| Alma mater | A&M College of Texas |
| Spouse(s) | Lucile Griffith |
| Relations | John Marks Moore (father) George Fleming Moore (grandfather) |
Early life and education
editGeorge Fleming Moore was born on July 31, 1887, in Austin, Texas, as the son of John Marks Moore and Mary Estelle Grace Moore. He graduated from the A&M College of Texas in 1908 and received a commission in 1909 into the Coast Artillery Corps.
Texas A&M
editA major and lieutenant colonel during World War I, he returned to Texas A&M as Commandant of Cadets from 1937 to 1940, where he was promoted to colonel.[2][3]
World War II
editIn World War II, then Brigadier General Moore fought in the Bataan Campaign, later becoming the commander of the Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays in the Philippines, both during the 1941–42 Japanese invasion.[4] He was given command of the Philippine Coast Artillery with roughly 5,000 men and four forts to defend Corregidor.[5] On May 6, 1942, Commander of Allied forces in the Philippines, General Jonathan Wainwright, surrendered the Corregidor garrison at about 1:30 p.m., leading himself and General Moore to be captured by the Japanese, and held as a POW until liberated in August 1945. General Moore was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and Distinguished Service Medal while in captivity.[6]
Family
editHe was married to Lucile Griffith (March 10, 1892 – April 5, 1972), daughter of John Williams Griffith and Mary Elizabeth (née Fox) Griffith of Port Townsend, Washington. They had one daughter, Anne (later Mrs. Burton R. Browne).[citation needed] His father was John Marks Moore, who was a member of the Texas House of Representatives and the Secretary of State of Texas. His paternal grandfather and namesake, George Fleming Moore, was the first chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court.[7]
Death
editMoore never recovered his health from captivity; he shot himself on December 2, 1949, shortly after retirement, in Hillsborough, California. The Moores are buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery, San Bruno, California.
Awards and honors
editMoore received some of the Army´s highest decorations including the Distinguished Service Cross and the Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster.[8]
Moore Hall, a residence hall at Texas A&M University, is named in his honor. Additionally, The General George F. Moore Outstanding Unit Award, endowed by Gerald and Susan Sullivan, was established in 1946 to recognize the outstanding company, squadron, or battery in the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M University.
Ribbon bar
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| 1st Row | Distinguished Service Cross | |||||||||||
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| 2nd Row | Army Distinguished Service Medal w/ Oak Leaf Cluster |
World War I Victory Medal | American Defense Service Medal with "Foreign Service" clasp | |||||||||
| 3rd Row | Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal w/ two campaign tars |
World War II Victory Medal | Philippine Defense Medal w/ bronze star | |||||||||
See also
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References
edit- ^ "Biography of Major-General George Fleming Moore (1887 – 1949), USA".
- ^ "Muster Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Residence Hall Living – Moore Hall Archived September 1, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ John A. Adams (April 15, 2016). The Fightin' Texas Aggie Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor. Texas A&M University Press. pp. 248–. ISBN 978-1-62349-423-0.
- ^ Dominic J. Caraccilo (June 29, 2005). Surviving Bataan and Beyond: Colonel Irvin Alexander's Odyssey as a Japanese Prisoner of War. Stackpole Books. pp. 311–. ISBN 978-0-8117-4155-2.
- ^ "Major General George F. Moore Archived June 9, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "John Marks Moore". Texas Legislators: Past & Present. Texas Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
- ^ "Valor awards for George F. Moore". The Hall of Valor Project.