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In memory of:
Major General
Roy E. Moss
2nd Bn 1st Marines - Commanding Officer
1970-1971
Dedication by: Landsdale Williams
MOSS, Roy E. Major General Roy E. Moss, died Thursday, March 27, 2003 at his residence. He served in various capacities in the Marines for almost thirty-five years retiring in 1985.
General Moss was the second son of Roy Philip and Charline Henry Moss and was born May 3, 1930 in Fort Worth, Texas. He attended elementary school and two years of high school there before moving to Virginia where his father, an Army Colonel, had been assigned.
He graduated from high school in 1947 and later attended the College of William and Mary graduating in 1951. While in college he was a Dean s List student and a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity.
He volunteered for the Marines shortly before graduating in order to choose his service and avoid the draft for the Korean conflict. Following Officer s Candidate Training at Parris Island, SC, his initial assignment was at the Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, NC and later at Camp Lejeune, NC before being ordered to Japan and then Korea where he served as a staff officer in the 1stMarine Division.
Upon his return from Korea, Captain Moss was assigned to the Marine Barracks at the Naval Gun Factory in Washington, DC later being reassigned to Headquarters Marine Corps to fill a special billet. In 1957, he volunteered
to return to the Far East where he joined the Third Marine Division on Okinawa as a rifle company commander.
In 1958, he was selected to be the Aide-de-Camp for the Deputy Commander of the Pacific Fleet Marine Forces in Hawaii. From 1961-64 he was the Inspector-Instructor of the Marine Corps Reserve unit in Flint, MI and was
promoted to Major in 1961.
From 1964-65, he attended the Marine Corps Command and Staff College at Quantico, VA. Following graduation, he reported to the 1stMarine Division at Camp Pendleton, CA and was assigned as the Division Embarkation Officer.
For his efforts in planning and executing the 1stDivision s deployments from the U.S. to Okinawa and then to the Republic of Vietnam, he was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal with combat V . While in Vietnam, he was reassigned as the Executive Officer, 2ndBattalion, 7thMarine Regiment and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with combat V and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry for his service with that unit.
Returning to the U.S. in the fall of 1966, he served for three years as Head of the Amphibious Warfare Instruction Section at the Marine Corps Amphibious Warfare School in Quantico.
In 1967, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and served on a special study group formed by the Commandant of the Marine Corps to recommend post-Vietnam structure and policy.
In 1969, he returned to William and Mary for Marine Corps sponsored postgraduate studies and earned an MBA degree.
In 1970, he volunteered for a second tour in Vietnam where he initially served as the Executive Officer of the Fifth Marine Regiment and later as Commanding Officer of the 2d Battalion, 1stMarine Regiment.
In 1971, he brought his unit, the last Marine Corps Infantry battalion to depart Vietnam back to the U.S. For his second tour of service in Vietnam, he was awarded the Legion of Merit with Combat V and the Republic of Vietnam Honor Medal First Class.
Following Vietnam, he was assigned to Headquarters Marine Corps and served as Head of the Plans and Policy Branch, Installations and Logistics Department. He was promoted to Colonel in 1972. Colonel Moss then attended the State Department s highest level executive course, the Senior Seminar in Foreign Policy at the Foreign Service Institute from 1974-78 he served as the Commanding Officer of the Naval ROTC Unit and Professor of Naval Science.
While at the Citadel in February 1978, he was selected for promotion to Brigadier General. His general officer assignments included Assistant Depot Commander, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, SC; Assistant Division Commander 1stMarine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA and Commanding General 2ndForce Service Support Group, Camp LeJeune, NC.
In 1982, he was promoted to Major General and assigned as Commanding General 4thMarine Division FMF USMCR, New Orleans, LA. His final assignment was as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans, Policy and Joint Exercises for USCINCLANT/CINCLANTFLT in Norfolk, VA, and he was awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal for his service there.
He retired on September 1, 1985. Following his retirement from active duty, General Moss worked as a consultant for a west coast defense contractor. In 1990, he was appointed by Governor Carroll Campbell to the South Carolina Procurement Review Panel where he served for four years.
Since 1990, he was an active professional saxophonist in the Charleston area playing in various bands including his own jazz trio, PHENOMENA. He was also an accomplished photographer and held leadership positions in the Leica Historical Society of America for many years.
He now joins his wife of 51 years, Betty Ann Moss, who preceded him in death on February 5, 2003. He is survived by two sons, Steven Moss of Charlotte, NC and Cmdr. Eric Moss, USN of Washington, DC and a daughter, Susan Mitchum of Mt. Pleasant, SC plus three grandchildren, Rachel and Russell Mitchum and Ryan Henry Moss.
