Michael S. Moore

Retired Colonel Michael S. Moore was born in March 1945, and he can trace a long military family lineage. His father Spencer C. Moore served in the military, his uncle was an artillery captain during World War II, and his aunt served as a Women’s Army Corps member from 1944 to 1945. Moore’s own son later attended the United States Naval Academy. His family’s history in New Jersey also stretches back five generations of having lived in Magnolia, New Jersey, since the 1790s. Moore’s great-grandfather operated one of the area’s only African American cemeteries. His exposure to military life began at an early age, when he accompanied his father to NJ National Guard administrative nights and attended summer camps while his father was in the Guard.

Moore graduated from Sterling Regional High School on June 23, 1963, and he enlisted in the Army only five days later. His father encouraged him to join, because Moore did not want to attend college, and his father was not willing to let him remain at home without pursuing something. Moore originally hoped to follow his father’s path into artillery, and he wanted to be stationed in Germany. Instead, the Army assigned him as an Administrative Specialist and eventually sent him to Vietnam. Because he volunteered for the draft, he was required to serve a shorter period than those who did not volunteer. His previous exposure to military life made the transition somewhat easier, although Moore still found basic training at Fort Dix to be an adjustment. Many of his drill sergeants were veterans of World War II or the Korean War.

After basic training, Moore completed Advanced Individual Training and personnel school. He had filled out his “dream sheet” requesting Germany, but his assignment changed when the Army began preparing him for Vietnam. His unit had initially been told they were going to Korea, but the specific vaccinations they received indicated that they were actually being prepared for Vietnam. Moore arrived in Vietnam on November 11, 1963, shortly after the Vietnamese government was overthrown. He was stationed at Tan Son Nhut Airbase in South Vietnam and spent much of his time in Saigon during the Vietnam Advisory Period.

Moore’s experience in Vietnam was different from that of soldiers who later served during the major stages of the war. He was primarily involved in an advisory role, base protection, and guard duty rather than direct combat. When Moore first arrived in Saigon, he witnessed Buddhist monks setting themselves on fire in protest. He also witnessed two coups as the Vietnamese government was overthrown. At the time, there were still American military and government families living in downtown Saigon, and Moore participated in efforts to protect and evacuate these families as the situation became increasingly unstable. Although he never experienced direct combat, he remembered the attacks occurring around the bases, and the constant tension of being in a developing conflict.

Moore also remembered the physical conditions of Vietnam. The heat and humidity were overwhelming, and he recalled constantly sweating. His living quarters were simple hooches, and reinforcements were needed on the roofs to protect them during monsoon season. Moore also remembered the large insects, including giant grasshoppers, and the continued French influence that could still be seen throughout Saigon. Despite the difficult conditions, he was glad to leave Vietnam when he did, because he understood that the situation was becoming increasingly dangerous.

Moore left Vietnam on December 2, 1964. He traveled through Japan before arriving at Travis Air Force Base in California and then continued toward New Jersey. During his trip home, Moore remembered realizing how long it had been since he had eaten good chocolate and drank real milk, since soldiers in Vietnam were often given powdered milk. At the airport, he ordered a hamburger and chocolate milk, which became one of his memorable first meals after returning to the United States. After briefly returning home, Moore was sent aboard the USS Buckner to Bremerhaven Germany in January 1965, where he would serve until June 1966.

Moore was stationed in Berlin with Company B, 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry. Although his primary position was Company Clerk, he still had many of the same responsibilities as the other soldiers and regularly went into the field. Berlin was surrounded by East Germany, meaning American soldiers sometimes had to travel through East German territory to reach West Germany. Moore remembered the extreme cold, particularly when performing checkpoint duties, and the tension that existed between American and East German forces. As more East Germans attempted to escape over the Berlin Wall, additional security measures were put in place to prevent escapes.

Despite the tension, Moore described the interactions between American and East German soldiers as generally cordial and respectful. Both sides understood that they were performing their assigned duties, although there was still an underlying sense of fear and uncertainty. Moore was later transferred to Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Infantry, where he was promoted to E-5. He lived in the former Olympic Village and also served at Spandau Prison, which was still operating in West Berlin. At the time, Rudolf Hess and two other Nazis were imprisoned there. The four occupying powers – the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and the Soviet Union – took turns providing guards for the facility.

After leaving the Army at Fort Hamilton, New York, on June 7, 1966, Moore returned to New Jersey and entered civilian life. He worked in the shipping department at Edmund Scientific while taking civil service examinations, because he was interested in becoming a postal worker, police officer, or corrections officer. After failing part of the postal examination, Moore passed the police civil service test and became a police officer in Magnolia, and he completed his police education at the training center in Sea Girt, New Jersey. A 1970 conversation with a New Jersey State Trooper friend encouraged him to pursue a career as a State Trooper, which he did while remaining connected to military service.

In September 1971, Moore was married, and that same year, he pursued college with the G.I. Bill. In 1975, he graduated from Camden County College. Moore was able to attend part-time night school studying Business at Rutgers’ Camden campus. He said that, from the time he graduated high school until his retirement, he was always in school!

In 1976, after approximately ten years away from the military, Moore returned to military service, after a former military friend told him that the Army was looking for drill sergeants. He served as a Drill Sergeant at Fort Dix for the 78th Division, but after one year, he sought a transfer, as he desired a Reserve Special Forces unit. His experience as a police officer and State Trooper eventually helped him transition into the Air National Guard’s security field. Moore passed an officer’s test to join the unit in 1977. He attended the Academy of Military Science in Knoxville, Tennessee, and was commissioned as a captain in the Air Force Reserve due to his previous military and law-enforcement experience. Moore joined the 177th as an Operations Officer and for Security and Police. while continuing his career as a State Trooper. In 1979, Moore went to Security Police Officer’s School at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.

The 177th Fighter Wing NJ Air National Guard unit, was based in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and maintained an active-duty Air Defense mission during the Cold War. The primary concern was the possibility of Soviet bombers, and aircraft were kept on alert. Moore remained with the 177th until 1983, before transferring to McGuire Air Force Base in 1984 to the 108th Tactical Fighter Wing. The 108th was notable for being the first Air National Guard unit to fly aircraft at twice the speed of sound. The unit had a Black Flag Mission, in case war broke out, the 108th would use the F-4 jets. He went to Ecuador and to Norway with the 108th. Moore continued to advance through leadership positions. From 1983 until 1993 he served as Commander of Security, and from 1993-1994 as Mission Support Squadron Commander. He went back to Security from 1994-1996. Moore was eventually promoted to lieutenant colonel and later full colonel. He also received the Air Force Officer of the Year award.

As a commander, Moore emphasized the importance of treating people fairly and allowing those under his command to do their jobs. Although he had significant responsibility, he recognized that his primary expertise was Security and that other members of his units had expertise in their own fields. Moore therefore avoided micromanaging and believed that respect and fairness were essential to effective leadership. He took pride in the units he commanded, particularly the 108th, which received numerous awards during his tenure.