YEOJU, South Korea - The Republic of Korea Army honored the U.S. Army commander who helped to liberate Seoul at a memorial unveiling ceremony here April 24.
At the ceremony attended by senior South Korean and American officials, the ROK Army dedicated the memorial to Maj. Gen. Bryant E. Moore, the former IX Corps commander during the Korean War.
The memorial for Moore was originally dedicated after the Korean War.
Third ROK Army Commanding General Gen. Lee Hong-kee decided to renovate and rededicate it last year.
"We will remember General Moore's blood-shed from the cradle to the grave," the Third ROK Army commander said of the memorial, which is located along the banks of the Han River on General Moore Road.
A native of Ellsworth, Maine, Moore helped Lt. Gen. Matthew Ridgeway's Eighth Army to eject Communist Chinese and North Korean occupying forces from Seoul and its surrounding mountain cities in early 1951.
Moore died in Korea in February 1951 following a non-combat-related helicopter crash. He was posthumously promoted to four-star general and buried at the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he served as the superintendent from 1949 to 1951. During World War II, Moore commanded troops in both the Pacific and European theaters.
Eighth Army Deputy Commander General Maj. Gen. Eldon Regua said the bilateral dedication ceremony demonstrated the enduring bond between the two nations.
"This partnership was forged under fire during some of the most brutal fighting of the 20th century," said Regua. "In the 21st century, South Korea is a beacon of prosperity, stability and democracy because of the shared sacrifices of the ROK and U.S. militaries here."
The Third ROK Army is the South Korean frontline combat formation that serves along the northwestern border between Seoul and the Korean Demilitarized Zone. It defends the same terrain where Moore's Soldiers defeated Communist forces in 1951.
"We have served side-by-side with our ROK allies since General Moore and his Soldiers fought so valiantly here over 60 years ago," said Regua, "and we continue to proudly stand together defending liberty on Freedom's Frontier."
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