Fred Moore (born 1936) is a former U.S. Army soldier and former member of the

3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment The 3rd United States Infantry Regiment is a regiment of the United States Army. It currently has three active battalions, and is readily identified by its nickname, The Old Guard, as well as Escort to the President. The regimental motto is ' ...

, best known as the prestigious "The Old Guard” or Honor Guard Company sentinel of Company E, 4th Battalion. In March 1961 Moore was the first African American tomb guard for the

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Arlington) The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a historic monument dedicated to deceased U.S. service members whose remains have not been identified. It is located in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, United States. The World War I "Unknown" is a re ...

, a historic US monument at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

which honors the unidentified remains of three combatants from

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and the

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.The Plain Dealer. “Tomb Reflections: Fred Moore recalls duty as first black Honor Guard at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.” Brian Albrecht. Updated January 12, 2019; Posted February 25, 2015. https://tombguard.org/guards/moore-2 ; https://www.cleveland.com/metro/2015/02/fred_moore_recalls_duty_as_fir.htmlThe US Department of Defense. “First African American Tomb Guard Recalls ‘Walking the Mat’.” Jacqueline M. Hames, ''Soldiers Magazine'', "News", Feb. 18, 2015. Moore’s achievement broke one of the

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

’s most historic color lines.U.S. Army. “First African-American Tomb Guard recalls journey.” Staff Sgt. Megan Garcia, 3rd U.S. Inf. Regt. "The Old Guard" Public Affairs. February 27, 2012.Hilltop Times. “Black History Month: First African-American Tomb Guard.” By Jacqueline M. Hames, Soldiers Magazine. February 26, 2015.

Early life, family

Moore was born in 1936 in

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

. He attended

East Technical High School East Technical High School or East Tech is a secondary school under the operation of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District in Cleveland, Ohio. History The school, when it opened on October 5, 1908, was the first public trade school in the cit ...

, graduating in 1956. Moore had three older brothers, all former members of the U.S. military. Moore worked at a supermarket before being drafted into the US Military. Moore married Joyce Singleton-Moore, whom Moore met through his sister. They had two children, a son and a daughter.The Plain Dealer. “Tomb Reflections: Fred Moore recalls duty as first black Honor Guard at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.” Brian Albrecht. Updated January 12, 2019; Posted February 25, 2015. https://tombguard.org/guards/moore-2; https://www.cleveland.com/metro/2015/02/fred_moore_recalls_duty_as_fir.html

Military career

On Aug. 13, 1959, the Selective Service drafted Moore into the

. He volunteered for the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, best known as the historic “ The Old Guard” or Honor Guard sentinel. Initially assigned to the reception center in

Fort Knox, Kentucky Fort Knox is a United States Army installation in Kentucky, south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. It is adjacent to the United States Bullion Depository, which is used to house a large portion of the United States' official gold res ...

, the 6-foot, 185-pound Moore received high scores during three days of initial training tests. Subsequently, an officer called Moore into his office and asked Moore if he would be interested in serving in the Honor Guard Company. The US Army assigned Moore to the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, best known as the historic “The Old Guard” or Honor Guard sentinel. The US Army sent Moore to Fort Myer, Virginia for Honor Guard training. The company comprises an escort platoon, a casket platoon, a firing party and a continental color guard. Assigned to the 3rd platoon Honor Guard Company as a Specialist 4th Class, Moore became a member of the firing team, which performed most of the burial rifle salutes at

. He also served at various parades, official ceremonies, and receptions for visiting foreign dignitaries throughout

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

and

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

. Moore marched in

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination i ...

’s inauguration parade. He also had duty at Kennedy's inaugural ball.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

On March 13, 1961, Ghana President

Kwame Nkrumah Kwame Nkrumah (born 21 September 190927 April 1972) was a Ghanaian politician, political theorist, and revolutionary. He was the first Prime Minister and President of Ghana, having led the Gold Coast to independence from Britain in 1957. An in ...

visited the United States.Old Guard History. "Integration of the Army – October 30, 1954." October 30, 2015. https://oldguardhistory.com/category/tomb-of-the-unknowns/ As a guest of President Kennedy, Nkrumah visited the

with Kennedy, placing a wreath at the Tomb. Nkrumah questioned Kennedy why there were no soldiers of color as part of the tomb’s sentinel guard. Soon after, the US Army assigned Moore to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier guard platoon for sentinel training. The previously all-white Tomb Guard sentinel guards embraced him immediately. Though it is believed that President Kennedy had a role in Moore's assignment to the unit guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, it was US Army Colonel Neale Cosby, platoon leader of the Tomb Guard, who selected Moore. Nonetheless, President Kennedy and his defense secretary, McNamara, were sufficiently motivated to change the racial dynamic in the honor guard. After the wreath event with Nkrumah, McNamara asked his manpower assistant to introduce a reasonable number of African American personnel into the Old Guard ranks. Accordingly, orders traveled down the chain of command. Colonel Neale quickly moved Moore in sentinel position, though Moore was already in line for Tomb duty. In March 1961, Moore performed his first walk as an official Tomb Guard sentinel, becoming the first African American to serve in this capacity and breaking a historic US Army color line. The Tomb has had a 24-hours-a-day, seven days a week military guard since July 1937. Moore was unaware of his historic breaking of this color line until Ebony magazine featured Moore in a story in September 1961. Moore served as a Tomb Sentinel from March 1961 to August 1961.Cleveland.com. “Interview: Fred Moore remembers duty as first black guard at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIr2Zm405Hg

Post-sentinel duty

After completing Tomb duty in August 1961, Moore attended Noncommissioned Officers Academy, graduating with honors. After completing his two-year service requirement, Moore left the U.S. Army and returned to Cleveland, Ohio.

Legacy

* Moore’s name is a test question on the Tomb Guard’s 100-question test to earn the Tomb Guard badge. * In 1997, Army Sgt. Danyell E. Wilson became the first female African American Tomb Guard.

Later years

After leaving the US Army, Moore returned to Cleveland, Ohio, working for Sherwin-Williams and later for

Cuyahoga County Cuyahoga County ( or ) is a large urban County (United States), county located in the Northeast Ohio, northeastern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. It is situated on the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the Canada–United States border, U.S.- ...

in administration. Moore currently resides in Cleveland.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Moore, Fred Living people Military personnel from Cleveland Arlington National Cemetery 1936 births African-American United States Army personnel 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American military personnel