Ol'Harry

WORLD WAR II DAUGHTER REMEMBERS 

D-DAY QUITE WELL

While it was an extraordinarily busy Tuesday around the office of Marjorie Moore’s father, he found time to write his oldest daughter a two-page birthday letter, “My little lady, sorry that I can’t be with you today, but pray to God that we will be together for your 10^th birthday.”  

COLONEL E. WALTER MOORE

 He apologized for not having time to shop for an appropriate gift to mark the occasion.  He commended her on the glowing dance recital report he had received from her mother.  He reminded her she was the role model for her younger sister, and to help their mother out as much as possible. 

Since her father was a West Point graduate and career military officer, the Moore family was accustomed to family separations – many more were to come. 

Marjorie Moore had received similar letters before, but this one seemed different.  In closing, her father hinted that the day was particularly memorable -- and that she would understand later.

COL. MOORE (L) DURING WORLD WAR II

She understood sooner than later.  Her father was Colonel E. Walter Moore, U. S. Army Air Forces.  He was stationed in England.  He commanded the 30^th Air Depot Group of the 9^th Air Force. 

The day was June 6, 1944 – D-Day!

Even though Colonel Moore was a decorated Command Pilot and would log over 11,000 hours of flight time, he wasn’t flying on D-Day.  He was tasked to keep other B-26 Marauder Bombers under his charge in the air.  The first 56 had taken off at 4 a.m.  The fact that many of his B-26s flew more than one mission on D-Day was a tribute to Moore’s support personnel on the ground. 

At the time, Marjorie’s mother and the two daughters were living with grandparents in Little Rock, Arkansas, “I attended a small private Catholic school.  Each day, we would be taken into the auditorium and shown movies and news clips of how the war was unfolding.  I knew my father was over there someplace and that it was horrible.”

Colonel Moore missed Marjorie’s 10^th birthday as well.  This time, his Martin Marauder bombers were kept busy repatriating American prisoners of war and moving soldiers back towards home.

COL MOORE BEING DECORATED BY FRENCH GENERAL

Her 11^th birthday showed a brief touch of normalcy – albeit overseas -- the family was all together at Erlangen, Germany.  The family spent Marjorie’s 12^th birthday together in Paris, after which Colonel Moore transferred to Eglin Field, Florida.  By this time, Marjorie had become a Christian and started a strong pilgrimage of faith that continues to this day. 

So much for normalcy, she attended schools at Fort Walton Beach, Florida for 9^th grade; Fort Worth, Texas for 10^th ; Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska for 11^th; and Falls Church, Virginia for her senior year.

She doesn’t expect sympathy for changing schools every year, “It was actually lots of fun!  Our high school in Alaska consisted of a 9^th grade boy and me!  I was a shoo-in for most beautiful, most intellectual, class president, etc.  Also, I wouldn’t trade anything for the year we lived in Germany – we traveled all over the place.”

Inasmuch as her father was expecting an assignment in Colorado, Marjorie enrolled as a freshman at Colorado College.  The Colorado assignment did not happen, so Marjorie re-joined her family the next year, matriculating at George Washington University.

In the nation’s capital, she met 2^nd Lieutenant Walter Martin, a South Carolinian freshly commissioned from Furman University, and serving with Headquarters, Military District of Washington.

On June 4, 1957, Marjorie Moore earned her B.A. degree in art from George Washington University.  On June 6, she celebrated another birthday – her father was present for this one.  On June 8, she became Mrs. Marjorie Moore Martin.

MARJORIE AND WALT MARTIN -- 2016

Walter Martin remembers her father was present for the wedding as well, “He was pretty tough on me, maybe because I was a second lieutenant or maybe because I was his son-in-law!”

Since the Martins and I first met several years ago, Marjorie’s prompt still holds, “Remember me as the M&M girl.”

Just as he had sold himself to a colonel’s daughter, Walter Martin made a career of sales and marketing.  Prior to moving to Greensboro in 2001 to be near their children, his livelihood had taken the family to Asheville, Detroit, Fayetteville, Winston-Salem, Martinsville, Virginia and Atlanta.

The Martins are active members of Lawndale Baptist Church.  He is a musician, she is a water color artist – they have two children and five grandchildren.  And one celebrated Dachshund, Heidi.

Colonel E. Walter Moore retired with 30 years of service in 1964.  Among his personal decorations were two legions of merit, two bronze stars, and seven combat campaign stars.

He died on July 16, 1992 and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.  Fifteen days prior, he penned his last letter to his oldest daughter, Marjorie.