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.

     

     

      

GENTLE GIANT OF A GENERAL

Even after several years of chance encounters with Ted Crichton, a sit-down breakfast at Herbie’s Place, and a morning-long visit in his beautiful Lake Jeanette home, I feel inadequate to write about this former enlisted man who rose to brigadier general during a 35-year military career.

I'VE NEVER MET A FRIENDLIER GENERAL THAN TED CRICHTON

His two older brothers were in the thick of World War II, but the end was in sight by the time he turned 17 and joined the Army Air Forces in 1945.  “I had wanted to fly since I was a kid making airplane models in Wilmington, Delaware.  I had high hopes of becoming an aviation cadet -- my timing wasn’t the best – they made me an aircraft mechanic.”

However, his timing for appointment to the U.S. Military Academy couldn’t have been better.  “I graduated from West Point in 1950, received my U.S. Air Force wings in 1951, and remained on flying status for 30 years.”

CRICHTON RAN TRACK AT WEST POINT

While my personal observation is that Crichton never saw an airplane he did not like, he leans to the B-45 and C-130, in that order.

“I had the good fortune to be both an aircraft commander and instructor pilot in the B-45, which became operational in the early fifties -- it was our first multi-engine jet bomber.  From England, we planned for operations over Communist countries in B-45s equipped to deliver both conventional or nuclear weapons.  In fact, the Mark V atomic bomb was designed specifically for the B-45.  These missions proved to be a strong deterrence to Soviet Union advances in Western Europe.

TED CRICHTON FEELS B-45 FILLED VALUABLE SLOT DURING COLD WAR

We were commanded by Colonel David M. Jones, a former Doolittle Raider.  Early models of the B-45 were relatively short range, with insufficient fuel to reach some assigned targets and return to England.   He inspired us to believe dissidents in Eastern Europe would help get us home, just as the Chinese had helped the Raiders.  Fortunately, we never put that theory to the test.”

Inasmuch as Crichton is a graduate of the Air Command and Staff College and the National War College -- with a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology -- he left the B-45 in terms even a Marine could understand, “It was a good horse to ride!”

In the 1960’s, Crichton became involved in air transport operations, commanding units equipped with the C-130 at Squadron, Wing and Air Division levels.  On his way to becoming a Command Pilot, Crichton completed over 6,000 flying hours, including 100 combat missions in Southeast Asia.

Other Crichton assignments include tours in the Pentagon; Senior Military Airlift Command Officer in the Europe, Middle East, North Africa area; and from Pope Air Force Base, he commanded two active duty Air Force Wings.

Crichton’s personal decorations include the distinguished service medal, three legions of merit, distinguished flying cross, bronze star, and several air medals. 

GENERAL CRICHTON HAS IMPRESSIVE COLLECTION OF MEMORABILIA

As for the highlight of General Crichton’s Air Force career, “I spotted her in an Officers’ Club chow line at Sculthorpe RAF Base in England.  I wasn’t looking for a wife, but I knew in an instant that she was the one – it was definitely love at first sight.  In 1955, Stella Peterson and I were married.  She was the ideal military wife – we moved 27 times over our 54 years together.”  Mrs. Stella Crichton passed away in 2009.

The Crichton’s daughter, Teresa Crichton Audilet and her husband Alex, live in Greensboro, which led to her parents moving here in 1999.  There are three grandchildren – Emily, Matthew and Claire.

Upon his retirement in 1980, Crichton became Vice President of HR Textron, Inc. in Los Angeles.  He later joined American Nucleonics Corporation, and became president in 1988.  He retired again in 1992 but ANC hired him back as advisor to the president, “My third retirement was a charm – it was concurrent with our move to Greensboro.”

He is a Kiwanian; member of the Black Caps Veterans Group; West Point Society; Guilford County Veterans Memorial Board of Directors; 2008 inductee into the Delaware Aviation Hall of Fame; and active member of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church.

His love for flying did not end with his Air Force retirement, “I’ve worked as a volunteer at Oshkosh, Wisconsin Air Shows for over 20 years and have flown in numerous other air shows.”

Just how inadequate am I to write about General Ted Crichton?  Except for noticing a small photo on his wall, I would have never guessed this six foot, four inch giant of a man ran the individual half mile and the two-mile relay at West Point – he was a four-year letterman.

And except from a coffee table book, I would never have guessed he is a grandson of the famous illustrator and writer, Howard Pyle.  

To keep me in the loop, Crichton says of his grandfather, “He was the writer who put a good face on Robin Hood!”