Thomas Hinman Moorer

World War II

In addition to his carrier-based fighter experience, Moorer also qualified in seaplanes and flew with a patrol squadron in the early years of World War II. Serving with Patrol Squadron Twenty-Two^[5] at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, when the Japanese Empire attacked on December 7, 1941, his squadron subsequently participated in the 1941–42 Dutch East Indies Campaign in the southwest Pacific, where he flew numerous combat missions. Moorer received a Purple Heart after being shot down and wounded off the coast of Australia on 19 February 1942 and then surviving an attack on the rescue ship, Florence D., which was bombed and sunk the same day by enemy aircraft involved in the first Bombing of Darwin.^[4][6] Moorer also received the Distinguished Flying Cross for his valor three months later when he braved Japanese air superiority to fly supplies into, and evacuate wounded out of, the island of Timor.^[4]

Vietnam War

Promoted to vice admiral in 1962, and to admiral in 1964, Moorer served both as Commander-in-Chief of the United States Pacific Fleet and Commander-in-Chief of the United States Atlantic Fleet — the first Navy officer to have commanded both fleets. Moorer was Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet at the time of the Gulf of Tonkin incident and ordered an internal investigation into the conflicting reports which emerged following the event.^[3]

Moorer served as the Chief of Naval Operations between 1967 and 1970, at the height of U.S. involvement in Vietnam and worked closely with the most senior officers in the U.S. Military and Government.^[3]

Attack on the USS Liberty

Moorer came to the conclusion that the attack on the USS Liberty in 1967 was a deliberate act on the part of the Israelis and that President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered the cover-up to maintain ties with Israel.^[7][8] Moorer stated that "Israel attempted to prevent the Liberty's radio operators from sending a call for help by jamming American emergency radio channels.[And that] Israeli torpedo boats machine-gunned lifeboats at close range that had been lowered to rescue the most-seriously wounded." Moorer stated that there had been a conspiracy to cover up the event and asked whether "our government put Israel's interests ahead of our own? If so, Why? Does our government continue to subordinate American interests to Israeli interests?"^[8] In a 1983 interview, Moorer said: "I've never seen a President . . . stand up to them [Zionists]. If the American people understood what a grip those people have got on our government, they would rise up in arms.”^[9]

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Moorer served as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1970 until 1974.

While Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Moorer personally masterminded the 1972 mining of Hai Phong Harbor and believed that if such an operation had been conducted in 1964 it would have "made a significant difference in the outcome of the war."^[3]

Excerpts from Moorer's diary during his time as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff were recently declassified, most notably one in which Moorer tells the Joint Chiefs of Staff during a 1971 meeting that in a nuclear war the United States “could lose two hundred million people and still have more than we had at the time of the Civil War.”^[10]

Upon completion of his second two-year term as CJCS, Moorer retired from the Navy on July 1, 1974.

U.S. military personal decorations, unit awards, campaign awards

Naval Aviator badge
	Defense Distinguished Service Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster[11]
	Navy Distinguished Service Medal with four gold award stars[11]
	Army Distinguished Service Medal[11]
	Air Force Distinguished Service Medal[11]
	Silver Star[11]
	Legion of Merit[11]
	Distinguished Flying Cross[11]
	Purple Heart
	Presidential Unit Citation with one service star
	China Service Medal
	American Defense Service Medal with A Device
	American Campaign Medal
	Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with two stars
	European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
	World War II Victory Medal
	Navy Occupation Service Medal with Europe and Asia Clasps
	National Defense Service Medal with bronze star
	Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
	Vietnam Service Medal with one service star
	Philippine Defense Medal
	Vietnam Campaign Medal

Foreign orders and decorations

He also has been decorated by thirteen foreign governments:

• Portugal (Military Order of Aviz, Grand Cross);^[12]
• Greece (Silver Star Medal, First Class);
• Japan (Order of Double Rays of the Rising Sun)
• Japan (First Class of the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun);
• Republic of China (Precious Tripod (Pao-Ting) Medal with Red Grand Cordon)
• Republic of China (Order of Cloud and Banner (Yun Hui) with Special Grand Cordon);
• Philippine Legion of Honor (Rank of Commander)
• Brazil (Order of the Naval Merit, Grande Official);
• Chile (Gran Estrella al Merito Militar);
• Venezuela (Order of Naval Merit 1st Class);
• Republic of Korea (Order of National Security Merit, 1st Class);
• Netherlands (Grand Cross, Order of Orange-Nassau with Swords);
• Federal Republic of Germany (Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit);
• Italy (Military Order of Italy, Knight of the Grand Cross);
• Spain (Grand Cross of the Order of Naval Merit);
• Norway (Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav).

Civilian awards

• Stephen Decatur Award for Operational Competence by the Navy League of the United States (May 1964)
• Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree awarded by Auburn University (1968)
• General William Mitchell Award, Wings Club of New York City (February 1968)
• Member, Alabama Academy of Honor (August 1969)
• Honorary Doctor of Humanities Degree awarded by Samford University (May 1970)
• Frank M. Hawks Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Development of Aviation by the American Legion Air Service Post 501, New York City (January 1971)
• The Gray Eagle Award presented at the Washington Navy Yard (June 29, 1972)
• Gold Good Citizenship Medal, Sons of the American Revolution
• The Lone Sailor Award by the U. S. Navy Memorial Foundation (1989)
• The National Football Foundation Gold Medal (1990)