General Hal Moore...We Were Soldiers

[fluidfloyd]

I know this is not T-Bucket related but there are some Vietnam Veterans here and I thought they would like to see this. General Moore served 32 years of active duty for this country. He is what all Combat Leaders should hope to be. A soldier's Soldier to the end. He helped set the path for helicopter warfare and all rotorheads hold a special place in their hearts for him.

George
Subject: All Vietnam vets - heads-up re Gen Hal Moore
Head's up in case you didn't get this. (for a couple of you that might not know... As a LTC, LtGen. Moore commanded a 1st Cav Bn in Ia Drang Valley

Sent: Saturday, January 18, 2014 3:05 PM

Subject: All Vietnam vets - heads-up re Gen Hal Moore
Today Cliff stern alerted me LtGen. Hal Moore (Ret) is very ill and not expected to live long. I called Joe Galloway, his best friend, and Joe confirmed, said it broke his heart when he became involved with advance funeral planning with the US Army. Whenever it happens, the funeral is planned for the large Catholic church in Auburn AL (don’t yet know the name or location) and interment will be at the Ft. Benning GA cemetery. The Army Aviation Heritage Foundation is also preparing, perhaps for a flyby, perhaps to fly the casket to Ft. Benning, but I don’t know.
Joe said Gen Moore’s family understands that countless Vietnam vets care deeply about the man, and Joe said we all will be welcome at the funeral. I can imagine the cars parked around that church might be more than hundreds in a parking nightmare, and the funeral procession from Auburn AL to Ft. Benning might be the largest ever seen. Maybe I’ll pack sandwiches in a cooler since a crowd that big will clean out every eatery along the way.
Joe said keep your eyes and ears open and you’ll hear about the event when Gen Moore passes away and the funeral is scheduled.
I am not involved, this is just a heads up in case you want to be one of many to pay your respects when the time comes.

 

[Mike]

For those of you who have seen, or will see the movie, there is a scene where troops are loading onto helicopters, to be flown to the front. You hear bagpipes playing and then a song is mostly narrated.

The song is titled Sgt. MacKenzie and was written by a Glaswegian, named Joe Kilna MacKenzie (may he rest in Peace). Joe wrote the song in memory of his great-grandfather, who was a sergeant in the Seaforth Highlanders, and was killed during WW I.

At the time, Joe Kilna fronted a tribal pipe and drum band, called Clann an Drumma (Scots Gaelic for Children of the Drums), which was based in Glasgow. Joe passed away from cancer and most of the members of the original band went on to form a second band, called Albannach (Gaelic for Scotsman). I got to know Joe well, during the last years of his life.

Joe and I at a Scottish celebration, up in Ft. Wayne, IN, back in the summer of 2005.

The Glasgow Highland Games at Glasgow, KY. The temperature was 98°, and I think the humidity was every bit that high.

Joe Kilna at left, a very close friend of mine, Jamesie Johnston at center, and Aya Thorne at right. This was taken at Smithfield, in London, just prior to the William Wallace funeral service at St. Bartholomew the Greater Church, on 23 August 2005.

This was taken in the wee village of Sauchie, Clackmannanshire, Scotland. At the time, I was engaged to the brunette, second from right in the back row, and this village very nearly became my home. Joe had a thing for the long, pointy objects, as you can see.

Amazing how small the world really gets, isn't it?