LIEUTENANT GENERAL JOSEPH H. MOORE
1914 - 2006

Joseph Harold Moore, Lieutenant General, United States Air Force was born in 1914 in Florence South Carolina. He entered the Army Air Corps in 1937 as a cadet. He graduated from Class 38-B and was commissioned to 2nd Lieutenant in June 1938. He was sent to units in Louisiana and California before the war and stationed finally at Clark Field Philippines in October 1940. He became CO of the 20th Pursuit Squadron at the age of twenty-seven.  His first combat was on the 8th December 1941 over Fort Stotenburg near Clark Field. This was the same day as the attack on Pearl Harbor because of the international date line. He was one of three pilots to get airborne just prior to the Japanese attack. He claimed two kills in his Curtis P-40B #41 and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. He flew 100 combat hours in P-40's in the first four months of the war.

Lt. General Moore proudly served the United States Air Force for 34 years.  He was a distinguished fighter pilot from World War II through Vietnam and served in various command positions around the world. His decorations include the Distinguished Service Cross, The Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, The Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, The Legion of Merit, The Air Medal with five Oak Leaf Clusters, and numerous medals from foreign countries. He retired from the Pentagon Washington DC in 1971.

On 11 December 1959  Joe Moore held the World Speed Record of 1, 216 mph while flying a Republic F-105 fighter jet. He was awarded the Bendix Trophy which is given annually.

In April 2006, 92 year old  Lt. General Joseph H. Moore attended the Full Military Funeral of Capt. Joseph P. McLaughlin at Arlington National Cemetery Washington DC. Capt McLaughlin was one of his senior pilots with the 20th Pursuit at Clark Field.

 Lt Gen Moore passed away at his home in Texas on 27th Dec 2006. He was buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, San Antonio Texas.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Rick Hanning for his assistance with this web page.

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This page first produced 1 April 2007

This page last updated 15 January 2020