“It’s hard to put into words … the extremely high regard that I have for the American soldier. He is the best fighting man that I have ever seen, and I would like for you — if you convey anything out of this area where we’ve been for the last three days and nights — please convey to the American people what a tremendous fighting man we have here. He’s courageous, he’s aggressive, and he’s kind.”

These are the introduction of the plea embedded below, by Hal Moore, who professed them as a colonel in the United States Army, after just leading one of the most courageous and unfathomable fights America’s ever took part in — during the first large unit battle of the Vietnam War: the Battle of la Drang.

That allusion detailing the length of the fight? Those words were hardly hyperbolic. Incredibly, they were real.

Three days. Three nights. In November of 1965.

Moore’s men, and he — part of the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry — found themselves surrounded by scores of the NVA (North Vietnamese Army) with no clear landing zone for them to evacuate, via the air. Heroically, they managed to fend them off, despite being incredibly outnumbered (less than 200 to more than 1,600 NVA). For his leadership, Moore was eventually awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

Decades later he penned a book on the battle, called We Were Soldiers Once … And Young. It would be adapted to a major Hollywood film starring Mel Gibson (as Moore) and hit theaters mere months after September 11, in March of 2002.

Moore, who ascended to the rank of lieutenant general upon retiring after 32 years of service, passed away this past Friday at his home in Kentucky. He was 95.

To celebrate his life and all he accomplished, members of his family posted the video below on YouTube, capturing his final salute.

It was accompanied by the following, moving caption:

We regret to report Lt General Harold G Moore Jr passed away in his sleep on February 10, 2017, also the birthday of his wife, Julia, who passed in 2004. Mom called Dad home on her day. After having a stoke last week, Dad was more lethargic and had difficulty speaking, but he had always fought his way back… tough never quits!

By the time we held an early birthday party on February 9th, Dad could no longer speak and was visibly tired. Upon seeing his cavalry Stetson, his iron will forced a final communication to his beloved West Point, his precious soldiers and the US Army. This video shows his final hand salute. God bless our Dad. Keep and protect him.

Chills just went up my spine. As I type this, an ice cream truck drove by improbably chiming the 7th Cavalry ballad, Garry Owen. Dad just told all of us he is fine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nENh8FYi3pY

Back in 2008, Joe Galloway (who cowrote We Were Soldiers Once … And Young and who was actually awarded the Bronze Star for saving someone’s life as a war correspondent) told the story of the first time he met Moore, in Vietnam:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmpbWaEoBxg

Here’s Moore talking about la Drang at that same conference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82LqvxhuFEY