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Moore, Thomas E. (Second World War correspondence)
2016.084.w.r
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Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
Center for American War Letters Archives
Title: Thomas E. Moore Second World War correspondence
source:
Moore, John T.
Identifier/Call Number: 2016.084.w.r
Physical Description:
2 Linear Feet
(2 cartons)
Date (inclusive): 1942 January 1 - 1946 January 18
Abstract: This collection consists of approximately 400 letters from Lt. Thomas Eugene Moore, USA, to his wife, Mary Ruth Montgomery
Moore, during and after the Second World War.
Language of Material:
English
.
Container: WWII 15
Container: 1-6
Container: 1-6
Container: WWII 18
Container: 24-26
Container: Oversize 1
Container: 13
Container: WWII 16
Container: 7-14
Container: 1-8
Container: WWII 17
Container: 15-23
Container: 1-9
This collection is open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of the children of Thomas E. and Mary M. Moore. Donated by John T. Moore.
This collection is arranged by material type and date:
- Series 1: Correspondence from Gene to Peggy
- Series 2: Correspondence from Gene to parents
- Series 3: Correspondence to Gene and Peggy
- Series 4: Photographs
- Series 5: Book.
Thomas Eugene Moore was born January 4, 1922 in Holdredge, Nebraska. A shortening of his middle name earned him the nickname
"Gene," the name he uses throughout his correspondence with Mary Ruth Montgomery, who went by the name "Peggy" because her
uncle liked to sing "Peg of My Heart" whenever she came around as a child. Born January 11, 1921 in Palisade, Colorado, her
family, through a series of moves around the country similar to the Moores, found themselves in Arizona while Gene and Peggy
were still children.
They met in Tuscon at a Wesley Foundation meeting in February, 1942 and shared their first kiss two months later on the first
day of April.
Three days later, April 4, 1942, Gene joined the United States Army from Phoenix. He had participated in his high school
ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps) and CMTC (Citizen Military Training Camp) prior to his service while attending the
University of Arizona. In 1941 he was too young to earn his reserve officer commission, but the age was lowered to 18 after
Pearl Harbor and the breakout of the war. He boarded a train in Phoenix on April 11 to begin training in Los Angeles.
He reported to Company B, 81st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment as a Second Lieutenant the next day and his military correspondence
to his girlfriend Peggy began. He served from April 1942 to February 1944 with the 125th Infantry Regiment, moving between
bases in Palo Alto, CA, Fort Benning, GA, and Fort Ord, CA. He and Peggy married during that time on August 14, 1943. He was
transferred in February 1944 to the 391st Regiment, 98th Infantry Division based in Hawaii where he spent the war training.
He explained to Peggy in a letter on their second anniversary in 1945 how he felt having never fought in the war and the scene
in Hawaii at war's end. Lt. Moore was eventually transferred to Japan as part of the occupation forces where he stayed until
the correspondence ends in January 1946. The 391st was inactivated February 16, 1946 in Japan (from the Center for Military
History, United States Army).
[Item title, Box number, Folder number], Thomas E. Moore Second World War correspondence (2016.084.w.r), Center for American
War Letters Archives, Chapman University, CA.
For the benefit of current and future researchers, please cite any additional information about sources consulted in this
collection, including permanent URLs, item or folder descriptions, and box/folder locations.
This collection consists of approximately 400 letters from Lieutenant Thomas E. "Gene" Moore, United States Army, to his wife,
Mary "Peggy" Moore, during and after the Second World War. Lieutenant Moore wrote to his wife frequently while in communications
and infantry training at several Army bases around the country. He then transferred to another infantry unit and was stationed
in Hawaii, where he continued infantry training until the end of the war. He continued correspondence as he was shipped to
Japan for occupation duties until early 1946.
There are also three letters from friends to Lieutenant and Mrs. Moore and one letter to Mary Montgomery (her name before
marriage) about work at a Quaker camp in 1942, as well as two photo albums of Lt. Moore during the war.
There are no restrictions on the use of this material except where previously copyrighted material is concerned. It is the
responsibility of the researcher to obtain all permissions. For further copyright information, please contact the archivist.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
World War (1939-1945)
United States -- Army -- Pacific Theater of Operations
United States. -- Army.
Zoot Suit Riots (Los Angeles, California : 1943)
World War (1939-1945) -- Hawaii
Correspondence -- World War, 1939-1945
World War (1939-1945)
Military training camps
Moore, John T.
Moore, Thomas E.
Moore, Mary "Peggy" Montgomery