Bruce Moore

Born in 1945 in Topeka, Kansas

Grew-up in and is currently living in Fairmont, MN

U.S. Army Vietnam War Veteran

Purple Heart Recipient

The year was 1967. Bruce Moore had just graduated from Mankato State University with big plans of what he would do with his life now that he had his degree. But the Vietnam war was raging and by 1968, the 23-year-old Moore was drafted into the United States Army. 

Following basic training at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Advanced Infantry Training (AIT) at Fort Polk, Louisiana and additional training at Fort Benning, Georgia, Moore was shipped to Southeast Asia in April, 1969, to fight in Vietnam.

Moore quickly worked his way up the combat ranks, becoming a squad leader for a seven-to-eight-man infantry rifle platoon to later becoming a platoon Sargent in a 24-man reconnaissance platoon as part of the 11^th Light Infantry Brigade AMERICAL Division.

  He and his men were encamped at forward firebases at Chu Lia and near Duc Pho. “The responsibility of being a squad leader or platoon Sargent caused me a lot of anxiety,” Moore recalled, “even though you couldn’t control what happened, it still felt that way. It was real tough seeing friends wounded or killed.”

Moore himself was wounded in action in Vietnam, but doesn’t openly share the story behind his war injury that resulted in receiving a Purple Heart medal. “I don’t regret being in the service, but I wouldn’t want to do it again,” he admitted.

Moore was brought home from Vietnam and honorably discharged from the Army in 1970. Once back in Minnesota, he worked for a concrete construction business before being hired on at 3M in Fairmont. He retired from 3M after 33 years with the company serving in management and engineering positions.