Julia Compton Moore

Julia Compton Moore

(image found on google).

One person holds the ability within themselves to make a difference in this world. Of this, I am sure.

You’ve probably not ever heard the name “Julia Compton Moore.” I hadn’t either. Julia Moore was Hal Moore’s wife. Hal Moore commanded the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry in the Battle of the Ia Drang Valley.

There have been many military wives to come before and after her. One might ask what makes Mrs. Julia Compton Moore special?

The Army did not have a specific protocol for notifying the families of soldiers that had been killed in action at the time in Vietnam that the Battle of the Ia Drang Valley occurred.  Quite frankly, they were unprepared for the shear amount of deaths that occurred at the time of that battle.  Because there was no system set in place for notifying families, the Western Union telegrams were given to Taxi Cab drivers to be taken to the families. Can you imagine the hysteria that occurred when a taxi cab came barreling down the road?

That is precisely what happened actually.  A taxi cab showed up at her door, and she thought the absolute worst news was awaiting her on the other side of that door.  The taxi cab driver asked her to help him with an address.

Mrs. Moore thought this way of notifying the spouses was in poor taste. She took it upon herself to accompany the taxi driver with the notification. She offered support to the families as they were notified of their lost loved one. She grieved with the widows who had lost their husbands, and the children who had lost their fathers. She attended the funerals of the men who were killed under her husband’s command.

As I sat watching We Were Soldiers the other night with my best friend, tears streamed down my face as the segment of the taxi cab death notification delivery came on.  The visual purely broke my heart.    I simply cannot imagine going to deliver all of those notices, and the sadness she witnessed.  The strength that Mrs. Moore had, the leadership role that she took on, and the care given to the wives of the men under her husband's command was astonishing.  Mrs. Moore was quite an extraordinary lady.

Due to her persistence, the shining example that she set, and her complaints to the Pentagon, that within weeks the Army had a new process for Casualty Notification. There would be one uniformed officer, accompanied by a Chaplain, to go and notify the families. She was instrumental in getting more attention focused on the Army family.

Mrs. Moore’s legacy lives on as there is now an award in her honor. The Julia Compton Moore award recognizes the civilian spouses of soldiers for their extraordinary contributions to the United States Army.

As you can see… One person holds the ability within themselves to make a difference in this world. Mrs. Julia Compton Moore is an example of this.