Lt Col Hal Moore at the Battalion command post in LZ Xray on 15 Nov 65.
Moreover, a commander must display quiet confidence and display no fear, ignoring "the noise, dust, smoke, thirst, explosions, screams of wounded, the yells, the dead lying around him." Such chaos is normal in battle, not the exception. Battle by its nature is chaotic. Good commanders strive to make battle organized chaos, rather than disorganized carnage. In Ia Drang, Moore’s lead helicopter pilot, Maj. Bruce Crandall, remembered Moore as "always making the right decision, always fully aware of the situation."
Second, "There’s always one more thing you can do to influence any situation in your favor -- and after that one more thing -- and after that one more thing." Taking a few seconds to separate one’s self mentally from the battle, Moore repeatedly asked himself, "What am I doing that I should not be doing? And what am I not doing that I should be doing to influence the situation in my favor?" These quiet seconds of reflection allowed Moore to enter a "zone" in which opportunities rapidly crystallized. By refusing to surrender the tactical initiative to the enemy, Moore dictated the course of the battle to the best of his ability, directing arriving units to the most dangerous portions of the battlefield, often minutes before the enemy attacked.
The third principle is "When there’s nothing wrong, there is nothing wrong except there’s nothing wrong!" That was exactly when a leader must be most alert. On the morning of the battle’s second day, Moore noticed that things were too quiet, not even the birds were singing. Something in his gut told him that something was wrong, so he directed each company to send out patrols. Within minutes these patrols intercepted the enemy as the NVA moved into position to assault Moore’s beleaguered troopers. The Americans repelled the attack, inflicting massive casualties on the enemy.
Last, Moore urged the cadets to trust their instincts. In a rapidly developing battle, one’s instincts amount to an instant estimate of the situation. There is no time to conduct a detailed commander’s estimate by the book and to make a matrix of alternative courses of action. An officer’s instincts are the product of education, training, reading, personality and experience according to Moore. Leaders must act fast and impart confidence. Don’t second guess decisions. Face up to the facts, deal with them and move on to the next situation. In the Ia Drang’s opening minutes, Moore’s instincts told him that the enemy commander was likely to strike on his left flank, heading for the clearing that marked the landing zone. As soon as Moore’s Charlie Company arrived on the landing zone, he directed them to take position on Alpha Company’s left, taking the risk of leaving his own rear unguarded from the north and east. They arrived just as the NVA launched an attack.
PFC Ira Rolston uses the bugle captured during the Battle of the Ia Drang to signal Co. B, 1st Plt., to move toward a valley objective, Feb. 1966.
Moore concluded his remarks by stressing the bond that exists between a commander and his soldiers. When one cadet inquired about the feeling of comrades in arm, Moore’s eyes welled with tears and he said, "When your men die and you don’t, you feel guilty. That’s all I can say about it." Today 37 years after the Battle in the Ia Drang Valley, Moore makes annual pilgrimages to the cemetery at Fort Benning, Ga., where several of his troopers are interred, and to the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial in Washington, D.C. In the wake of the tragedy of September 11, the old commander, now in his 80th year, paid his respects to Rick Rescorla, a former lieutenant who died in the destruction of the World Trade Center.
How was Moore received by West Point’s Corps of Cadets? A random sample of unedited comments tells the story. "The most important part of Gen. Moore’s lecture was the advice on how people should lead," noted one cadet. Another said, "The single most noteworthy accomplishment was being able to keep his cool and composure while on the verge of being overrun. ... He inspired me to always remain optimistic, even when things look bad." Yet another remarked, "I was hanging on every word. It was the best lecture I have ever heard at West Point. ... I would have stayed and listened to him all night if that were possible."
COMPANY B SWEEPING FORWARD OF THE BATTALION PERIMETER
Perhaps the most touching comment came from a first class cadet who said Moore’s presentation was the "best, most down-to-earth lecture I have ever experienced. It made me feel proud becoming an officer and entering into the Army as a profession. His words are inspirational and his experiences are a model of admiration. I wish I would have gone Infantry."
How many other cadets Moore inspired to select Infantry as a branch is speculative, but the general consensus that April evening was that listening to Hal Moore made these cadets better future commanders. Listening to Moore could make one a better officer and possibly a better person.
One final observation. In the audience the night Moore addressed the Corps was New York Times reporter John Kifver, who asked Moore if his comments were on the record. "All my comments are for the record," Moore replied, "Feel free to publish anything you desire." In the subsequent column that graced the front page of the Times, Kifver described Moore as a "courtly old warrior."
In the final analysis, Moore typifies the finest attributes of the U.S. Army’s officer corps and West Point’s motto of "Duty, Honor, Country."
His mantra for years has been and continues to be "hate war, love the American warrior." As heroic and inspirational as his battlefield leadership was in countless battles in two foreign wars, however, Moore’s greatest legacy remains the preparation of future officers to lead America’s finest soldiers into battle. That is why he is cherished by officers and soldiers alike.
Additional Sources:
www.cav57.org
www.jbs.org
www.army.mil
www.cantho-rvn.org
www.lzxray.com
www.vva.org
www.heritagestudio.com