Julie met her husband Hal in 1948 when she was home at Fort Bragg on vacation, and they married in 1949. They then began a shared military journey that displaced them 28 times to 10 states and two countries.
Julie loved her husband’s soldiers, focusing on their families. She threw herself into volunteer work, supporting soldiers and their families in any way she could. She served as a Red Cross volunteer working in Army hospitals and dental clinics. She worked in tirelessly in daycare centers to ensure that they received attention and support from the chain of command. She volunteered as a Brownie and Girl Scout leader and a Cub Scout Den mother as another way to connect with families and their issues.
Julie recognized the critical role of Wives Clubs in each of her husband’s assignments and used them to organize mutual support. She reached out to new wives to ease their transition from civilian life into the broader military family.
Julie led in establishing Army Community Service programs (ACS) that equipped families with skills helpful in facing the challenges of military life. She used ACS to provide help to families when deploying or relocating, information and referrals about financial assistance and employment, or help in crises.
Perhaps Julie’s most significant contribution to the war effort came when Hal’s unit was deployed to Vietnam. Neither Fort Benning nor the Army was prepared for the Vietnam War nor the Ia Drang campaign. Two Army practices contributed to Julie’s decision to take action.
First, in a heartless decision, the Army gave military families 30 days to move off post after a unit’s deployment and into civilian housing. 438 families of Hal’s 1st Battalion of the 7th Cavalry quickly scrambled to search for housing. Her family was forced to move into a house so small that Julie had to set up a cot for their youngest son each night. She pleaded with the Department of the Army that the policy be changed.
The Army was soon overwhelmed by the many combat death notices sent to unsuspecting families. The Army callously handed the telegrams to taxi drivers, expecting them to deliver the notices to families, typically isolated in small apartments, trailer parks, and one-room walk-ups.
Julie Moore's husband, Hal, was a highly-regarded Lt. Colonel then serving in Vietnam when a taxi driver pulled up to her house. When he rang the bell she decided not to answer; that way, everything would be all right. She finally said to herself, “Come on, Julie, you have to face up to what's to come, so go answer the door." It turned out, the driver needed directions.
At that moment, she knew what it felt to get that telegram, and she never wanted to have anybody else get that telegram and not have somebody physically with them. So, Julie made a deal with the local Western Union office: they would call her whenever a telegram came.
Horrified by this callous decision, Julie demanded to know which of Hal’s unit member’s families would receive telegrams and then followed each taxi driver to the door, ensuring that no one received the terrible news alone. She comforted each family and grieved with the widows of the fallen.
Julie then attended the local funeral of every one of those soldiers lost in combat. She advocated for a more humane system and took her complaint all the way to the Pentagon. Julie challenged and eventually stopped that practice. Thanks to her tireless efforts, the Army instituted the policy of having each notice delivered by a team of a uniformed officer and a chaplain. This practice then became standard throughout the military.
Julie contributions to the military were recognized in her husband’s annual appraisals with such comments as “great asset to our own military community and the Army.” Her legacy continues today with an award in her name. The Julia Compton Moore Award recognizes civilian spouses of soldiers for “Outstanding Contribution to the U.S. Army.” She was a model for all military spouses.
The 2002 movie "We Were Soldiers" portrayed how Julie Moore would rush to comfort the widows.
Even as she cared for her five young children, Julie helped other Army wives on the home front, as she recounted in a 2001 interview: "I think people forget that these men had families. And these families had problems. And the wives are left alone to deal with them as best they can. And these women were really up to the task. They really were."
Together, the Army wives successfully lobbied the base commander. What they really wanted was the Army to make a fundamental change, which they did, in that the Army should take responsibility for delivering these telegrams to the wives and personally care for the spouse during that time of cathartic change. Service members now notify families in person and offer additional support.
The 2002 movie "We Were Soldiers" portrayed how Julie Moore would rush to comfort the widows.
Even as she cared for her five young children, Julie helped other Army wives on the home front, as she recounted in a 2001 interview: "I think people forget that these men had families. And these families had problems. And the wives are left alone to deal with them as best they can. And these women were really up to the task. They really were."
Together, the Army wives successfully lobbied the base commander. What they really wanted was the Army to make a fundamental change, which they did, in that the Army should take responsibility for delivering these telegrams to the wives and personally care for the spouse during that time of cathartic change. Service members now notify families in person and offer additional support.
No matter the way this devastating news is brought to the family it is forever life changing for every member. My family had a visit from the local police come with the news that our dad had died in a car accident on the way home from his job at the air force base. While there is no easy way to get this news, having an empathetic person bring it to you and stay with you during the shock that comes with it is a more humane way than being sent a telegram or God forbid, in today’s world a text.
Julie died in 2004 and is buried at Fort Benning next to her husband. Thank You so much to Julie for taking your painful experience and helping so many other women through this heartbreaking experience.
