Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore in Flames Of War Vietnam

Lt. Col. Hal Moore in Flames Of War Vietnam Hal Moore was born in 1922 in Kentucky. From a young age Moore was interested in joining the military and he worked hard to get into the United States Military Academy at West Point. He graduated from the academy in 1945 and commissioned as a second Lieutenant. In 1948 Moore was reassigned to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he volunteered to test experimental parachutes, completing nearly 150 jumps over two years. When the Korean War broke out in 1950, Moore was promoted to Captain and first saw action in 1952 as an infantry company commander in the 7th Infantry Division.

Tour Of Duty The Vietnam War defined a generation, whether it was through service in Vietnam or opposition to the war. The war in Vietnam remains one the bloodiest wars since the Second World War. Learn more about Tour Of Duty here...

Between the Korean and Vietnam Wars, Moore continued his studies in tactics, achieving the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. In 1965 he transferred to Fort Benning to command a battalion in the new 11th Air Assault Division which pioneered air assault tactics using UH-1D ‘Huey’ helicopters. In July 1965, the division was reformed as the 1st Cavalry Division (Air Mobile) and Moore took command of the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment (General Custer’s old command at the Battle of Little Bighorn)

Characteristics Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore and Sergeant Major Plumley are based together. They are Warriors and a Higher Command M16 Rifle team rated Fearless Veteran. They are an Independent Team. Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore and Sergeant Major Plumley may join a Rifle Company (Airmobile) for +50 points.

Shortly thereafter the 7th Cavalry deployed to Vietnam. Moore personally led his men into their first battle, despite his superiors’ objections. He firmly believed that the commander should be the first soldier in and the last out of any engagement, so it was no surprise when he was aboard the first helicopter into the battle of the Ia Drang Valley.

Special Rules Getting Pretty Sporty Down Here! Moore and Plumley kept the battalion fighting despite seemingly impossible odds, and led them to victory. Moore and any platoon he is currently leading, always passes Motivation Tests on a roll of 3+.

Once on the ground Moore quickly discovered that the valley was teaming with North Vietnamese troops and the fight was on. The battalion was heavily outnumbered. The enemy nearly overran the battalion when Moore called in a dangerously close air strike with every available aircraft in the area to save the day. He then took the offensive and forced the Vietnamese to abandon their positions. With the battle won, Moore ordered his battalion to evacuate, and true to his word he was the last to board a helicopter back to base. After the Vietnam War, Hal Moore continued to serve in the army and eventually retired as a Lieutenant General in 1977. Moore wrote about his Vietnam experience in We Were Soldiers Once, and Young, which was later made into a movie simply called We Were Soldiers.

First to Set Foot on the Field Moore firmly believed that he should be the first to step off the helicopter and the last to leave the battlefield in order to provide the best leadership for his men during the fight. Moore and Plumley do not take up a box on the Helicopter Loading Chart when aboard a UH-1D Slick helicopter. They can be carried in addition to the helicopter’s normal passengers.

Sergeant Major Basil L. Plumley Basil Plumley was born in 1920 in West Virginia. He enlisted in the US Army on 31 March 1942 as a private and volunteered to join the US paratroopers. He was assigned to the 82nd ‘All American’ Airborne Division and fought with the unit throughout World War II. He made all four combat jumps with the division in WWII including Sicily, Salerno, D-Day and Market Garden. He remained in the army after the war and participated in another combat jump during the Korean War with the 187th Airborne Infantry Regiment. Plumley met Hal Moore at Fort Benning while Moore was testing experimental parachutes. He soon attained the rank of Sergeant Major and together with Moore began training their battalion in the new 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). The Sergeant Major was known affectionately by his soldiers as ‘Old Iron Jaw’ owing to his being a hardened veteran.

That’s a Nice Day! Plumley was an imposing figure on the battlefield. Often described as a veteran’s veteran, he never flinched, even as the enemy threatened to overrun the battalion HQ. Plumley simply pulled out his Colt .45 automatic pistol and stopped the enemy cold. When conducting Defensive Fire, Plumley uses his pistol to defend himself and Moore. As a result, you may re-roll any failed To Hit rolls by their team in Defensive Fire. Any hits on Moore and Plumley do not count towards Pinning Down the Platoon.

In 1965, Plumley entered his third war when he went into action with the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment at the Ia Drang Valley. During the battle, Plumley stood with his Colt .45 Automatic blasting the enemy if they came too close. Plumley’s rough commands were heard over the chaos of the battle and his stalwart nature gave the men someone to rally behind. Like Lieutenant Colonel Moore, Plumley was among the last to leave the Ia Drang Valley. Plumley retired as a Command Sergeant Major having earned an impressive amount of awards, including a Silver Star with an Oak Leaf Cluster, a Bronze Star with an Oak Leaf Cluster, a Purple Heart with three Oak Leaf Clusters, and various other medals.

Lt. Col. Hal Moore & Sergeant Major Plumley in Flames Of War Vietnam An updated version of the history and special rules for Lt. Col. Hal Moore and Sergeant Major Plumley are now available as a PDF download to further supplement the content found in Tour Of Duty. Download a PDF version of the Special Rules for Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore & Sergeant Major Plumley here...