Billy Moore Sr. served as both an Artilleryman and a Signal Corpsman in World War II combat. CONTRIBUTED

MADISON – Billy Moore Sr., who will be 91 years old on July 15, is one of ‘the greatest generation’ as a World War II veteran.

Moore was born in Madison County on July 15, 1925. He was raised in North Alabama during the Great Depression. He worked as a farmer.

Moore was drafted for the U.S. Army during World War II. He trained as an artilleryman and was assigned to the 974th Field Artillery Battalion, XII Corps, 3rd Army (Patton’s).

“The 974th Field Artillery Battalion was a 155-mm (M1) howitzer, tractor-drawn, general support unit. The battalion was formed on March 1, 1943 at Camp Forrest, Tenn., just north of Madison County, Alabama,” Moore said.

On February 23, 1944, the 97th battalion arrived in England and later entered France on July 14, 1944. Moore served with the battalion through campaigns in Ardennes/Alsace, Central Europe, Normandy, Northern France and the Rhineland.

At the end of the war, Moore was stationed in Sunching, Germany. He was due to return to the United States but re-enlisted to become a Signal Corpsman.

In his next deployment, Moore then was sent to serve in Japan as part of the occupation forces in the 3186th Signal Battalion. During his tour in the Signal Corps, he was re-trained as a lineman. Moore was discharged from his second enlistment on March 31, 1947.

Returning to Alabama, Moore farmed in Limestone and Madison counties. He later became a farm machinery mechanic and worked on cotton pickers, combines and tractors throughout North Alabama and south-central Tennessee.

He and his wife Fay Clark Moore, raised two sons: Billy Wayne Moore, who is an infantry veteran of the Vietnam War, and Ronald Moore. Billy and Fay Moore have three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Billy Moore has lived in the Hazel Green community for the past 50 years.