Col. Douglas E. Moore of Haymarket considers himself a country boy from Arkansas, but there’s more to him. Not only did he serve his country honorably as a pilot and soldier, but he also wrote a book about his experiences in Vietnam and helped a famous author with her novel.
Moore joined the U.S. Army in 1959. “When I had the chance to go to flight school, I took it,” he said. In 1964, he was sent to Vietnam for a year. He was deployed again in 1968, as a “dustoff,” or medevac, pilot, tasked with rescuing soldiers.
He captured his experiences in his book, “A Bullet Through the Helmet: A Vietnam Dustoff Pilot’s Memoir,” published in 2019.
The title of the book is especially meaningful to him. While evacuating soldiers, his helicopter was hit 37 times by the enemy. One round tore through his helmet, knocking him sideways and sending the aircraft into a steep bank. Although injured and unable to see out of one eye, he managed to right the helicopter and deliver the soldiers and himself to safety.
In Vietnam, he flew 1,874 combat missions, evacuated 2,782 patients and piloted an aircraft that recovered three American prisoners of war.
“It was difficult, but we just did it,” Moore said. “We knew the guys on the ground had been wounded and in some cases killed. It was our responsibility to get in and try to save their lives if we could, while the bad guys wanted nothing else than to shoot down a medevac helicopter.”
Their combat loss rate, he explained, was three times higher than the rest of the Army’s aviation units. “But we just accepted it and went on with it.”
His flying skills were also put to the test in Japan and many other international theaters. Moore went wherever he was needed – 43 different countries over the years.
Back in the states, his dedication to helping others did not falter. During the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington, he served as Air Mission Commander for the rescue effort. He also served at the Pentagon and was executive officer for the Army’s Surgeon General when he retired.
During his 30-year career, Moore received a multitude of commendations and awards, including the Distinguished Service Crosso for heroism, along with two Distinguished Flying Crosses and a Purple Heart.
After his retirement in 1989, Moore was inducted into the Dustoff Association’s Hall of Fame, which honors medical evacuation helicopter crew members. He was later inducted into the Army Aviation Association of America’s Hall of Fame and then into the Army ROTC Hall of Fame.
Looking back on his career, he said the people with whom he served made it meaningful.
“There were a small group of us who came into the military together and served in the same units across the years. We, our wives and our kids all became great friends,” Moore said.
Moore is also thankful for the blessings in his personal life. “I was married to a beautiful woman I met in college, and unfortunately I lost her many years ago, but she gave me two wonderful kids, Lizbeth and Keith,” he said.
About 11 years ago, he was – in his own words – running around single and intending to remain that way for the rest of my life. Then, Debby Alexander came into his life, again.
They had met many years earlier in Vietnam, where she served as a civilian in the Army Special Services helping soldiers who needed a respite from combat.
Debby recalled that in January 1969, Moore, then a major, flew her from Soc Trang to Cu Chi when she was transferred there. “I flew with him and his pilots for the next six months until I went home from my first tour. After that, I didn’t see him again for 45 years until we met at the Vietnam Women’s Memorial on Veterans Day in 2013. We were married two years later.”
The combination of Moore's experiences in Vietnam coupled with the writing of his memoir has afforded him other opportunities in recent years. Most notably, it led to him helping Kristin Hannah, a New York Times bestselling author, in proofreading and editing her book, “The Women,” for accuracy regarding the Vietnam War.
The fictitious historic novel tells the tale of one woman who went to war in Vietnam; however the story pays tribute to the women who served bravely in Vietnam but often were forgotten by history. Hannah included an acknowledgment to Moore and his wife for their help.
Despite the dangers and heartache, Moore never regretted entering the military. “There's just something about serving your country.”
Susan Baldani writes articles about small-town life, local businesses and interesting people for various publications. Her website is mywritingwall.com and she can be reached at suebaldani@yahoo.com.
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