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An Atypical Vet
CAMILLE ANDING
“It was freezing cold off the shores of
Korea that day on the flight deck of the USS
Antietam Naval Aircraft Carrier. I was an
assistant landing safety officer – the one you
see on movies waving flags to assist pilots in
landing their planes on ships – except we
used paddles during those days. All the planes
had landed or so we thought, so the main
LSO went below deck.
“Suddenly we spotted a late plane coming
in, and the pilot radioed that he only had
enough fuel to make one pass. I told him
I was the assistant but if he would trust me,
I knew how to do this. The pilot told me that
he didn’t have a choice.”
Harry Moore, the 91-year-old veteran
paused, appearing to visualize the dangerous
scene again. A smile broke across his face as he
continued, “I brought that guy in and as soon
as he got out of his aircraft, he looked me up
and thanked me for saving his life.”
It was obvious from the interview that
Moore had led an atypical life, and the
surprising realization was that the details,
circumstances, and history, along with the
dates, were catalogued and easily retrievable
in his atypical memory.
In 1945, Moore, a native of Tupelo,
Mississippi, had just turned seventeen when
the Germans surrendered in WWII. Three
years later he was a passenger in a horrific car
wreck that almost severed his left leg. While
still recovering and on crutches, he entered
the Army recruiting office to sign up for duty.
The attending physician asked what he was
doing there in his condition and sent him home.
In 1950, after a full recovery and surprising
everyone that he didn’t have a permanent
limp, he joined the Navy. During those years
in the military, he served on the USS Antietam,
the USS Shangri-La, and the USS Yorktown.
Moore considers those years some of the most
rewarding and definitely most eventful days
of his long life.
From the carriers, he transferred to the
Moffett Naval Air Station where he helped
transport military personnel all over the
country. “I even flew co-pilot on some of the
trips,” he said. He added that he learned how
to fly when he was fifteen – something he
never told his parents during the lessons.
“My mother would have killed me,” Moore
confessed.
The interview was lengthy but passed
quickly due to the catalog of events the proud
veteran shared. Once while on a carrier at sea,
he and some friends were together when they
heard a powerful boom overhead. A 500
pound bomb had dropped from a plane
resting just above them. “It was a miracle that
it didn’t explode,” Moore said.
Another time they were off the coast of
Korea, and some of the sailors spotted a black
mine floating near the ship. Some marines
aboard the ship were called up to use their
M1 rifles to detonate it. After several failed
attempts, Moore asked if he could try. He
took the rifle and on the first shot, blew up
the mine.
Even though Moore has mental files of
adventures and good times stored in his
memory, there were horrific accidents of
pilots miscalculating landings on the carriers.
Some instances he chooses not to discuss.
A good friend and fellow sailor taught him
to play the mandolin, and a small group of
musicians formed and practiced on the ship.
However a freak accident involving a plane
misfiring a round took his friend’s life. Moore
watched him die along with Moore’s desire to
play the mandolin again.
Moore still talks to a fellow sailor living in
Missouri. “But about all we can talk about at
our age is our ailments,” he said with a
reflective smile. Once a week a relative picks
him up at Brookdale Assisted Living in
Clinton and takes him to a nearby facility to
visit his wife, Grace, who’s dealing with a
debilitating stroke.
With his four sons living in Columbus,
on the coast, and in Florida, he appreciates
his neighbors at Brookdale. The military
members who live there still get to share
memories with each other, but the Ole Miss
and State fans don’t appreciate it when he
wears his Alabama cap!
After being asked why he loved the military
so much, he didn’t hesitate, “I had some of the
best friends I’ve ever had in life.” Then he
added, “I’d go back, but they don’t want me
anymore.”
Was that meant to be a joke? The evidence
makes one think otherwise. l
Hometown Clinton • 27