November 21, 2006

Shreveport, La. – PetroSun Independence Bowl officials are pleased to announce General Harold Moore as the 2006 recipient of the Omar N. Bradley “Spirit of Independence Award.” Since its inception in 1978, this honor has been bestowed upon outstanding American citizens, or organizations which symbolize the spirit of freedom and independence on which our country was founded.

“We are so honored to have a true American hero as this year’s Omar N. Bradley “Spirit of Independence Award” recipient, said 2006 PetroSun Independence Bowl Chairwoman, Markey Pierre. “We feel very fortunate to be able to honor him at this time in our country’s history.”

Moore, a native of Bardstown, Ky., retired as a 3-star General from the Army in 1977 after more than 32 years of active service. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant of Infantry in 1945 and proceeded to serve and command at all levels from Platoon through Division.

“I can only accept the Spirit of Independence Award by expressing my gratitude to the many men and women who have served in uniform, and especially to those who have sacrificed their lives for our great nation’s freedom and independence,” said Moore. “My being on the long list of truly great Americans to have previously been so honored, I am humbled beyond words and hope my presence will be worthy of such a unique honor. The history of the Independence Bowl has been a great one, starting with Shreveport’s “movers and shakers” in the 1970’s. Let us, together, celebrate the spirit of independence and the success of another Independence Bowl.”

Moore researched and wrote the book, We Were Soldiers Once….and Young in 1992. He and his co-author, Joe Galloway of US News and World Report, began working on the book in 1982. The book focused on the first major battle of the Vietnam War, the “Battle of la Drang” from Nov. 14-16, 1965 in Vietnam. The book, which spent 17 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list after its release, was made into a movie in 2002, with famed actor Mel Gibson playing the character of Gen. Moore.

Gen. Moore and Galloway each participated in the “Battle of la Drang,” with Moore serving as Battalion Commander on the ground and Galloway as a UPI correspondent. Moore attended George Washington University for two years and then received his military appointment in 1942 and graduated from West Point in 1945. He also attended graduate studies at both George Washington and Harvard Universities.
Moore was the first of his class (1945) to be promoted to brigadier general, major general, and lieutenant general. He served in the Korean War as a Company Commander and Regimental S3 (7th Division), and served in Vietnam as a Battalion and Brigade Commander (1st Cav.).

Moore was also Commanding General of the 7th Infantry Division in Korea and Commander of Ft. Ord, Calif. He also served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, Department of the Army. Moore was the recipient of the “2003 USO Patriot Award”, two Combat Infantryman Badges, and the Distinguished Service Cross (United States). Moore was also named a master Paratrooper. He received appointment to the Honorary Grade of Rifle Platoon Sergeants-major of the 3rd Brigade, 1st CAV in Vietnam.

His career included such service as NATO duty in Norway, command of 17,000 man infantry Division in Korea, a large Army post of over 35,000 in California, and Personnel Chief of the Army. In 2000, he was appointed “Doughboy of the Year” by the Army Chief of Infantry and received the President’s Award for the Arts from the Vietnam Veterans of America Association.

Moore is a Master parachutist with over 300 jumps and pioneered the sport of Skydiving in the 1940’s. He holds two Combat Infantry Badges, the Purple Heart and the Distinguished Service Cross, and is a qualified Army helicopter pilot.

In 2003, Moore was selected by the U.S. Military Academy of Graduates as a “Distinguished Graduate.” In 2005, General Moore received the Abraham Lincoln Award from the Union League of Philadelphia for Distinguished Service to the United States of America. Moore was also selected the 2006 Veteran of the Year by the Birmingham, Ala. Veterans’ Committee.

Past “Spirit of Independence” honorees include actor Bob Hope (1979), former President Ronald Reagan (1981), legendary Grambling football coach Eddie Robinson (1988), Heroes of New York City (2001), General Tommy Franks (2004), and last year’s recipient, General Russel L. Honore.

The first recipient of the prestigious award was General Omar N. Bradley, the only living five-star general in the United States at the time. Bradley and his successors symbolize the Spirit of Freedom and Independence, which the award was established to recognize. General Bradley presented the Spirit of Independence Award to his fellow recipients each year up until his death. After that, the General’s named was added to the award.

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