TWO LITTLE NINE YEAR OLD BOYS NAMED BOBBY

In the early 1940's several families in Monroe, LA got together and decided to establish a new Baptist church. They named the new church Emanuel Baptist Church and named as its first pastor, Brother N. T. Smith. The families bought a lot at the corner of North 4th and Breard Streets in Monroe, LA. The families didn't have much money, so they started services in a large tent on the corner. The men of the families started digging the foundation of the church in their spare time. They dug trenches and put brick pilings in those trenches upon which to build the church building. Money was short and the work went slowly.

Two little boys named Bobby met at the church several times each week for services or when their fathers worked on the construction. They became good friends and enjoyed playing cowboys and Indians and army games in the trenches and around the pilings. Finally, the main chapel was finished and all church services moved inside the new building.

When the two little boys named Bobby were nine years old, one of them decided to join the church and dedicate his life to the Lord after talking it over with his parents. At Sunday night services, Bobby walked down the aisle and shook Brother N. T. Smith's hand in accepting his invitation to officially join the church. After shaking Brother Smith's hand, he sat on the first pew. Shortly thereafter, the other little nine year old boy named Bobby walked down the aisle and also joined the church. At seeing these two little nine-year-old boys sitting on the front pew, Brother Smith was jubilant. He told the congregation that he could stay there all night. The two little nine-year-old boys named Bobby looked at each other and knew they didn't want to stay there all night.

The two little boys stayed close friends until they entered high school. They went to different high schools and started going to different churches so they could attend church with their girl friends. Eventually they lost contact with each other.

One little boy named Bobby finished high school and joined the Air Force. He studied the Romanian language and went into the United States Air Force Security Service. The other little boy named Bobby finished high school, went to college a year and then joined the Air Force. He went to Syracuse, studied the Russian language, and went in the USAFSS also. He served a year in Misawa and Wakkanai, Japan and then went back to Syracuse to study intermediate Russian. Then he spent 1960 and 1961 in Darmstadt, Germany with the 6911th RGM.

Some of you know the first little nine-year-old boy named Bobby as A2C Robert H. Moore. He was with Det 1 of the 6911th RGM flying out of Rhein-Main AFB near Frankfurt, Germany. Bobby was flying TDY out of Turkey when he was killed September 2, 1958 when a Soviet Mig-17 shot down a C-130 #60528 over Armenia. Of course, most of you have figured out that I was that other little nine-year-old boy named Bobby.

September 2, 1998, the remains of A2C Robert H. Moore and 16 of his fellow crewmembers were buried in Arlington National Cemetery. They received a full honors funeral.

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Last week, I took all the material that I had on A2C Robert H. Moore to the Chennault Aviation & Military Museum of LA, Inc. at Selman Field in Monroe, LA. The former Army Air Corps created Selman Field in 1942 as the only complete navigation training base in the USA. More than 14,000 airmen were trained at Selman Field during the war. More than 1,500 of them died flying combat missions in World War Two. The museum is named for General Claire Lee Chennault who commanded the famous Flying Tigers of World War Two in China. Gen. Chennault was from Monroe, LA.

The curator of the museum was very excited and wants to set up a display just for Bobby Moore. If anyone has any pictures or other material concerning A2C Robert H. Moore, please contact the curator: Mr. Jerry Smith, 701 Kansas Ln., Monroe, LA 71203. 318-376-0382 (www.ammla.net) If you are in the Monroe, LA area, please stop by the museum.

Bobby M. Peden
224 Hodges Rd.
Ruston, LA 71270
318-255-2671
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