GREEN BERETS Moon, Walter Hugh

[John Robertson]

• SURNAME

Moon ​

• FORENAME

Walter Hugh (Wally)​

• UNIT

7 SF Group (Company B,Field Training Team 59) ​

• RANK

Captain ​

• NUMBER

0-63424​

• DATE OF DEATH

22nd July 1961 ​

• AGE

38 ​

• GRAVESITE

National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific,Honolulu,Hawaii Courts of the Missing​

• ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

from Rudy,Arkansas​

born 31.3.1923 Rudy,Arkansas​

son of Rufus Paul and Rosa (nee Neal) Moon​

husband of Maxine Moon,Van Buren,Arkansas (2 children Gary and Karen)​

graduated high school​

skilled electrical machinery worker in civilian life​

entered service 6.6.1944 Camp Joseph T.Robinson,Little Rock,Arkansas​

Private (38669549)​

served WW2 and Korean War​

7 SF Group​

awards Silver Star (posthumous),Bronze Star with V​

promoted Major while POW status​

POW 22.4.1961 Laos​

executed Lat Theoung,Laos ​

body not recovered​

Vietnam Veterans Memorial,Washington,D.C. Panel 01E Line 4 ​

Oliver Cemetery,Chester,Crawford County,Arkansas memorial stone​

​

Walter Moon was born on March 31, 1923, in Rudy, Arkansas. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on June 6, 1944, and after seeing combat in Italy, he received an honorable discharge on July 17, 1946. He then attended the University of Arkansas, and was commissioned a 2d Lt of Infantry through the Army ROTC program there on June 1, 1950. After completing Infantry Officer training at Fort Benning, Georgia, Lt Moon served with the 4th Infantry Division in West Germany from June 1951 to June 1954, followed by service as Professor of Military Science and Tactics with the Army JROTC Program at Savannah High and Commercial High Schools in Savannah, Georgia, from June 1954 to June 1957. Capt Moon attended Advanced Infantry training at Fort Benning from June 1957 to June 1958, and then served as Aide to the Deputy Commander of Eighth Army in South Korea from June 1958 to June 1959. His next assignment was with the 1st Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, from June 1959 until deploying to Southeast Asia in early 1961. He was captured and taken as a Prisoner of War in Laos while serving as an advisor with the 7th Special Forces Group, Military Advisory and Assistance Group Laos, on April 22, 1961. After an escape attempt, Maj Moon was executed by his captors on July 22, 1961. His remains have never been returned to the United States.​