John N. Baldwin MD

THE CREATIVE PROCESS: GENERAL HAL MOORE

First, a little prelude: I often get tangled up in memories, sentimentality and past friendships. Most of you know this, and tolerate my idiosyncrasies. Be assured, it is NOT old age or Alzheimer’s coming on. (Which has been coming on for 77 years now) And you know, I rarely pass-along but write my own stuff… good and bad.

This is another of those, very personal, but worthy of sharing things, before my voice is stilled. If any of you on the hidden list wish never hear from me again, please tell me and honestly, respectfully, you will be removed. I thought these elements of what was the seminal moment (at least for me) of our lives were worth sharing, as the waves of history are washing the beaches and names and heroes will not long be forgotten.

I knew General Hal Moore, the “star” of the incredible “We were Soldiers once, and Young” starring Mel Gibson, the finest, most authentic and caring movie ever made about Vietnam and what we all endured. 400 of the 7th Cavalry US kids were helicoptered into an ambush by 2,000 North Vietnam Regulars… real soldiers… in the Valley of Death… the Ia Drang… the date was November 14, 1965… year 7 or so of our “undeclared” war. But a new president, elevated by assassination of the previous would not be “the first American president to lose a war.” LTC Moore famously said, “My boots will be the first off and the last on to that chopper, and I solemnly promise you, we will ALL, come home, dead or alive, so help me God.” Three days of intense fighting later, 100 American kids lay dead and stacked in piles were 1,100+ North Vietnamese. That was the first and LAST FIXED Place battle we ever had… from then on, it was booby traps, punji sticks, trip wires, ambushes on trails… but NEVER AGAIN… big force against the USA.

Moore was in 1970 a full Colonel, Class of 1945 West Point (later to go to three star Lt. General) and commander after his Nam exploits… Fort Ord, home of the 7th Infantry division, and I was their Dept of Defense Chief Surgical Consultant… at $90 for 8AM to Noon… on Wednesdays for 15 years… a sacrifice of love as I taught two generations of surgeons, saved a couple lives and gave up thousands of dollars not being in my OWN operating room for half a day. We touched hearts for perhaps four minutes. But forever.

Hal Moore turns 90 in February, and like all of us, has a limited life span, and he is playing the last hole for sure. I have no idea how to contact him or what his intellectual status is, but… pause for a minute… Take a moment to read about him, and then listen to Mansions of the Lord… the fabulous theme song from the movie, sung by none other than the West Point Chorus.

Love Dad (Ok… I live in the past, but cursed with incredible photographic memory of scenes and sounds and faces, it seems OK to me). JB

Hal Moore, in 1965 aa Lt. Colonel of 7th Cav… “Custer’s unit”

Question to General Moore: What would you share with civilians (and active-duty service members) about increasing success? In your years of service, what was it that you did to increase the odds?

HM: I learned early on there’s always one more thing an officer can do to increase the chances of accomplishing his mission and getting his men back alive. In fact, it’s incumbent upon any commander leading men into harm’s way to beat his brains out, ahead of time, to figure out that one thing—and every other element he can come up with, too. I instinctively think ahead. I run scenarios before things happen. I plan ahead for things I know are coming—and, more important, for what I don’t know is coming. Surprises. When you’ve rehearsed for multiple contingencies, even if it’s only in your imagination, you can deal with crises when they happen (and they always do) with a higher degree of calm, which in turn keeps everyone around you in a problem-solving mode and not a panic mode. I’m a great believer in reading. A military commander should know as much of the history of warfare as he can, so sudden reversals don’t catch him by surprise. There’s nothing new under the sun. Everything that happens to you and me under fire has happened already to Hannibal, Napoleon, Alexander – you name it.

I highlighted the I Plan Ahead part as that is EXACTLY what excellent surgeons, investment advisors, teachers, moms, nurses, parents and plumbers do…

There is no telling how much longer we will have Hal Moore (with us)… but rest assured, he will always be in my heart and those brave 7th Cav men he commanded, and saved, early in the days of the pernicious and completely wasteful “war” we called Vietnam. He will turn 90 in February. Think about him on February 13. He was “special”.

Sorry to be emotional, but looking back, what did we accomplish.

Today, Jeannie’s new carry-on airplane bag arrived from LL BEAN. It was made in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. (Saigon… our place of death 45 years ago)

BUT… all they really wanted was what we all want, FREEDOM and PEACE. Call it what you will… communist, free, socialist, cultist, leftist, rightist… all but terrorist, which they never were, except in the exercise for their freedom from 900 years of domination.