November 14th, 1965 - Landing zone X-Ray, Central Highlands of South Vietnam.

American soldiers, men of the 5th and 7th Cavalries – commanded by then-Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore – face off with elements of the People’s Army of Vietnam and a battalion of the National Liberation Front—the Viet Cong.

X-Ray presented an array of problems for Moore’s troops: small helicopter landing zones, tall elephant grass and a massive surrounding enemy force familiar with the terrain and unafraid to die in large numbers.

Shortly after touching down, and without the full strength of his troops, Moore’s men came under heavy fire. His men were attacked day and night; the fighting was fierce and close in – sometimes even hand to hand.

Moore’s troops were also at a disadvantage due to a unit that became separated early on. It was not until very late in the battle at X-Ray that the lost platoon, having sustained a great many casualties, was finally recovered.

This intense battle brought out true courage and compassion as well concrete displays of soldiers’ love for each other and their country. This valor and loyalty was also exemplified in the helicopter crews that supported the men on the ground at landing zone X-Ray.

The courage under fire displayed by the American soldiers at X-Ray was a reflection of their leader. Hal Moore, a veteran of Korea, was the first man off the choppers at X-Ray and the last man to leave that bloody clearing. His instincts and presence of mind during the midst of a ferocious firefight further cemented him as a battlefield legend. To this day, West Point recruits cite Moore as one of their heroes – one of the men they most look up to.

When the fighting ended at landing zone X-Ray, 79 Americans had been killed in action, 121 wounded; the North Vietnamese suffered thousands of casualties.

Though the fierce fighting in the Ia Drang Valley concluded over forty years ago, the American forces who fought there remain legends. Lieutenant General Hal Moore and journalist Joseph Galloway co-authored and published a book in 1992, which tells the story of Ia Drang. We Were Soldiers Once … And Young was made into a feature film starring Mel Gibson as Moore just a decade later. The service their work has done to the soldiers who fought, and died, in the Vietnam War has been extraordinary. No longer were those who served in Vietnam portrayed as outcasts and misfits—they were men of honor, as great as any generation of Americans, prior or since.

Lieutenant General Hal Moore is an exemplary military man. His courage, unflagging respect for his soldiers, and efforts in telling the story of Ia Drang rank him among the greatest of America’s battlefield heroes.

With his bravery, regard and convictions in mind, the American Veterans Center is proud to name Lieutenant General Hal Moore as the recipient of the 2007 Joe Ronnie Hooper Award.