William Grover Moore Jr.

General, U.S. Air Force

William Grover Moore Jr. was born on 18 May 1920 in Waco, TX, and began his military career in 1940 by enlisting in the Army Air Corps as an aviation cadet. He graduated in May 1941 with a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Corps.

During World War II, Moore commanded the 777th Bombardment Squadron, 464th Bombardment Group, Fifteenth Air Force, in Italy, logging 35 combat missions in B-24 Liberators. After WW II, he served as Commandant of students at the Army Air Forces Aircraft Observer and Bombardier School at Mather Field, CA.

Korean War

During the Korean War, he Commanded the 3rd Bombardment Group based at Kunsan Air Base from where he led 65 combat missions in B-26 Marauder medium bombers.

From January 1953 to August 1956, he served at Headquarters USAF, Washington, DC, in the Directorate of Operations; and from August 1957 to 1961, he was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe, where he served as Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations. In August 1961, he entered the National War College in Washington.

In August 1962, Moore began his airlift career as Commander of the 314th Troop Carrier Wing, Sewart Air Force Base, TN. During this time he also completed airborne training at Fort Benning, GA. In September 1963 he became Commander of the 839th Air Division. While at Sewart, he directed Project Close Look, the springboard for today's tactical airlift tactics and procedures, and served as airlift commander on several large scale exercises including the Big Lift deployment to Europe.

Vietnam War

From March 1965 until October 1966, Moore was the Deputy Director of Operations, J-3, U.S. Strike Command at MacDill AFB, FL, where he commanded the test airlift exercise Rapid Strike and was instrumental in much of the airlift planning for joint operations.

In November 1966, was assigned in Vietnam to organize the airlift effort in support of the Vietnam War. He reactivated and Commanded the 834th Air Division at Tan Son Nhut Air Base with responsibility for all tactical airlifts in Vietnam.

He assumed duties as Director of Operational Requirements and Development Plans, Deputy Chief of Staff, Research and Development, at Headquarters USAF, in December 1967.

In February 1970, he became Commander of the Twenty-Second Air Force (Military Airlift Command) at Travis AFB, CA. There he had prime responsibility for the extensive strategic airlift flown from the continental U.S. to Southeast Asia. During this time, he also flew more than 900 hours in the C-141 Starlifter. While he was Twenty-Second Air Force Commander, the world's largest aircraft, the C-5 Galaxy, entered the Military Airlift Command inventory and a C-5 squadron was activated at Travis.

In September 1972, Moore assumed Command of the Thirteenth Air Force (known as the Jungle Air Force) at Clark Air Base in the Philippines. He was responsible for U.S. Air Force units in Taiwan, Thailand and the Republic of the Philippines. The C-130 Hercules planes under his command were the first aircraft into Hanoi to prepare for returning prisoners of war, and he commanded the homecoming operation at Clark Air Base under the direction of the Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Command.

Moore was assigned as Chief of Staff, Pacific Command, in October 1973. He participated in the planning and execution of numerous missions: complex airlift efforts for resupply of Cambodia; evacuation of Phnom Penh (Operation Eagle Pull) and Saigon (Operation Frequent Wind); Operation Babylift; Operation New Life; and the Mayaguez operation.

He became Assistant Vice Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force, with the additional duty of Senior Air Force member, Military Staff Committee, United Nations, in October 1976. On 1 April 1977, Moore was promoted to the four-star rank of General and he was assigned as Commander-in-Chief, Military Airlift Command.

General Moore retired in 1979. He is a combat veteran and Command Pilot with 100 missions flown during World War II and the Korean War, and more than 140 missions in the Vietnam War.

Medals and Awards

Distinguished Service Medal (3 Awards)

Silver Star Medal

Legion of Merit (5 Awards)

Distinguished Flying Cross (2 Awards)

Air Medal (10 Awards)

Joint Service Commendation Medal

Air Force Commendation Medal (2 Awards)

Croix de Guerre with Palm

Distinguished Service Order, 2nd Class

Vietnamese Armed Forces Honor Medal, 1st Class with Cluster

Joint Service Commendation Medal

In Retirement

After retirement, Moore became president of the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority. He and his wife lived in Franklin, TN.