James Edward Moore

United States Army general (1902–1986)

James Edward Moore (29 November 1902 – 28 January 1986) was a United States Army four star general who served as the United States High Commissioner of the Ryukyus after World War II. A graduate of the West Point class of 1924 and the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Moore became the aide de camp to Brigadier General William H. Simpson in November 1940. He subsequently served as Simpson's chief of staff with the 35th and 30th Infantry Divisions, the XII Corps, and Fourth and the Ninth armies. He was chief of staff of the Ninth Army throughout its campaigns in the European Theater of Operations in 1944–1945. After the war, he was the commanding general of the IX Corps from 1955 to 1958, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army for Operations from 1958 to 1959, and the chief of staff at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers in Europe until his retirement in June 1963.

James Edward Moore was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts, on 29 November 1902, the oldest of five sons of James E. and Mary Daly Moore. His father died when he was sixteen years old. In high school, he organized and commanded the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) unit, lettered in football, managed the basketball team, was on the debating team, and was president of his class for all four years. Moore entered the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, on 7 July 1920. As a Second Year cadet he started a cadet newspaper, and he wrote and directed the 100th Night Show, He graduated on 12 June 1924, ranked 155th in his class, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the infantry. For his first assignment, Moore was posted to the 5th Infantry Regiment at Fort McKinley, Maine. In June, he returned home to marry Mildred Lindberg, his girlfriend from high school. They had three children: daughters Patricia and Mary, and a son, James E. Moore Jr.

After the war in Europe ended, Moore returned to the United States, where he became the chief of staff of the Second United States Army, based in Memphis, Tennessee, on 1 October 1945; it moved to Baltimore, Maryland, on 5 June 1946. He was awarded two Commendation Ribbons for this service. His rank of major general in the Army of the United States was terminated on 30 June 1946, and he reverted to his substantive rank of major. He then became the deputy chief of staff of the Second Army. Moore served at headquarters of the United States Army Pacific at Fort Shafter, Hawaii, from 1 January to 28 February 1947, when he became the Commanding General of the South Sector there. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel again on 12 June 1947. From 12 May 1948 to 30 June 1950 he served on the Army General staff in Washington, DC. He commanded the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Riley, Kansas, until May 1951, when he was struck down with a severe case of tuberculosis, and spent the next two years at Fitzsimons Army Hospital.