George Fleming Moore (July 31, 1887 – December 2, 1949) was a decorated officer of the United States Army with the rank of

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

. General Moore commanded the

Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays The Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays ("Coast Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays" until 1925) (a.k.a. CD/HD Manila Bay) were a United States Army Coast Artillery Corps harbor defense command, part of the Philippine Department of the Un ...

and the Philippine Coast Artillery during the

Battle of Bataan The Battle of Bataan ( tl, Labanan sa Bataan; January 7 – April 9, 1942) was fought by the United States and the Philippine Commonwealth against Japan during World War II. The battle represented the most intense phase of the Japanese inva ...

Early life and education

George Fleming Moore was born on July 31, 1887, in

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

, as the son of John Marks Moore, Jr. and Mary Estelle Grace Moore. He graduated from A&M College of Texas in 1908 and received a commission in 1909 into the

Coast Artillery Corps The U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps (CAC) was an administrative corps responsible for coastal, harbor, and anti-aircraft defense of the United States and its possessions between 1901 and 1950. The CAC also operated heavy and railway artillery ...

Texas A&M

A major and lieutenant colonel during World War I, he returned to Texas A&M as Commandant of Cadets from 1937 to 1940, where he was promoted to

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

.Muster
Residence Hall Living – Moore Hall

World War II

In World War II, then Brigadier General Moore fought in the Bataan Campaign, later becoming the commander of the

in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

, both during the 1941–42 Japanese invasion. He was given command of the Philippine Coast Artillery with roughly 5,000 men and four forts to defend Corregidor. On May 6, 1942, General Jonathan Wainwright surrendered the Corregidor garrison at about 1:30 p.m., leading himself and General Moore to be captured by the Japanese, and held as a POW, later liberated in August 1945. General Moore was awarded the

Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries. *Distinguished Service Cross (Australia) The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is a military decoration awarded to ...

and

Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a high award of a nation. Examples include: *Distinguished Service Medal (Australia) (established 1991), awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force for distinguished leadership in action * Distinguishe ...

while in captivity.Major General George F. Moore

Family

He was married to Lucile (Lucille) Griffith (March 10, 1892 – April 5, 1972), daughter of John Williams Griffith and Mary Elizabeth (Fox) of

Port Townsend, WA Port Townsend is a city on the Quimper Peninsula in Jefferson County, Washington, United States. The population was 10,148 at the 2020 United States Census. It is the county seat and only incorporated city of Jefferson County. In addition to ...

. They had one daughter, Anne (later Mrs. Burton R. Browne).

Death

Moore never recovered his health from captivity; he shot himself on December 2, 1949, shortly after retirement, in Hillsborough, CA. The Moores are buried at

Golden Gate National Cemetery Golden Gate National Cemetery is a United States national cemetery in California, located in the city of San Bruno, south of San Francisco. Because of the name and location, it is frequently confused with San Francisco National Cemetery, which ...

San Bruno, California San Bruno ( Spanish for " St. Bruno") is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States, incorporated in 1914. The population was 43,908 at the 2020 United States Census. The city is between South San Francisco and Millbrae, adjacent to S ...

Awards and honors

Moore received some of the Army´s highest decorations including the

and the

with

Oak Leaf Cluster An oak leaf cluster is a ribbon device to denote preceding decorations and awards consisting of a miniature bronze or silver twig of four oak leaves with three acorns on the stem. It is authorized by the United States Armed Forces for a speci ...

. Moore Hall, a residence hall at

Texas A&M University Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...

, is named in his honor.

Ribbon bar

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Moore, George F. 1887 births 1949 deaths United States Army generals American prisoners of war in World War II World War II prisoners of war held by Japan Bataan Death March prisoners Texas A&M University alumni Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States) Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Burials at Golden Gate National Cemetery United States Army generals of World War II United States Army personnel of World War I