By Patrick C.  Roe

Special to the Islands’ Weekly

Before a gathering of friends and neighbors from this small island community, retired Army Colonel Roy Moore Junior was decorated with the medal of a Chevalier in the French Legion of Honor. The Legion of Honor is the highest decoration in France and was, by order of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, awarded to Moore for his part in the liberation of France.  The medal was to be presented by Jack Cowan, the Honorary French Consul in Seattle, but weather halted the seaplane that was to bring him to the island, so Moore asked fellow islander Shannon Plummer, commander of the American Legion post in Friday Harbor, to make the presentation.

The citation calls Moore a true hero whose courage and honor saved the French nation from destruction, and the children and grandchildren of those who were rescued will never forget. Moore now joins other recipients of the Legion of Honor such as Generals Dwight Eisenhower and George Patton as well as other luminaries like T.E. Lawrence, Jacques Barzun and Henri Bergson.

Moore, now 90-years-old, then a 23-year-old first lieutenant, commanded a tank company in Patton’s Third Army in the liberation of France in 1944.   Moore told of his only encounter with Patton on the day when he came upon his company as it was advancing along a country load carrying on their tanks a stove, some firewood and several geese which they planned to have for dinner that evening. Patton halted the column, braced Moore and said, “Lieutenant, are you in command of this band of gypsies?”

Patton then ordered him to get rid of the geese and the other impediments and be prepared to fight.

The general was right, of course, said Moore.

Moore and his company, Company B of the 735th Separate Tank Battalion,  probably had more continuous days of combat that nearly any other unit in the European campaign.  As part of a separate tank battalion his company would be attached to assist an infantry division in attack.  When such a division was relieved the battalion  would then be attached to some other division continuing the advance.

The 735th Tank Battalion continued into Germany where Moore, by then a captain, was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action. Moore says the Silver Star was a great asset when, after the war, he decided to remain in the army and applied for a regular commission.  He was required to appear before a selection board made up of a major general and several colonels.  On his appearance the general said “Perhaps we can start the interview by telling us a little about how you won that Silver Star.”

Moore replied, “Well, general you should know since you were the one who gave it to me.”

Moore said that he knew then that he was in.

After a distinguished career Moore retired from the army in 1962,  moving to Lopez Island not long afterward.  He has been active in promoting outdoor sports and in community affairs.