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Robert
W. "Todd" Moore of Glasgow was inducted by former Governor Louie Nunn in
an impressive enshrinement ceremony held at the Bluegrass Airport in Lexington.
He was one of five people so honored including General Russ Dougherty,
also of Glasgow and a former commander of SAC, and Shuttle astronaut Story
Musgrave who led the Hubble repair mission.
Moore was commissioned
a 2nd Lt. in the U. S. Army Air Corps in August of 1942. He
was assigned to the 78th Fighter Squadron , 18th Fighter Group
7th Fighter Command, 7th Air Force initially, and participated in Central
Pacific air defense operations in the Hawaiian and Midway island areas.
He left the 78th, which had been reassigned to the 15th Fighter Group,
to join the 45th Squadron prior to their participation in the
Gilberts and Marshalls Campaigns. Flying a P-40N off of Makin Is.
on a B-25 escort mission he got his first kill, a Zeke, over Maloelop on
26 January 1944.
Upon return from
Makin he rejoined the the 78th and participated in the
preparation for the aborted Yap operation in P-47Ds followed by the Iwo
Jima operations in P-51Ds. He became an Ace on the 25th of April
1945 the second Bushmaster to do so.
He was transfered
to the 45th Squadron on the 25th of May and on the 29th, while
leading the 45th on escort of the maximum effort B-29 bombing of Yokohama,
he had his most fruitful mission with three victories. Upon return from
30 days R&R he assumed command of the 45th. He went on to become
the 7th Fighter Command's leading Ace with 12 victories one
probable and 3 damaged. Todd also got credit for 3 enemy aircraft on the
ground. He flew 130 combat missions during his 37 months in the Pacific.
His efforts earned him the Silver Star (presented personally by General
of the Air Forces "Hap" Arnold), Distinguished Flying |
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