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{{Infobox military person
|name= Lonnie R. Moore
|image= Lonnie Moore.jpg
|image_size= 
|alt= 
|caption= Lonnie R. Moore in the early 1950s
|nickname= 
|birth_date= {{birth date|1920|07|13}}
|birth_place= [[Groesbeck, Texas]], US
|death_date= {{death date and age|1956|01|10|1920|07|13}}
|death_place= [[Eglin Air Force Base]], Florida, US
|placeofburial= [[Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery]]
|allegiance= United States
|branch= [[United States Army Air Forces]]<br/>[[United States Air Force]]
|serviceyears= 
|rank= [[Major (United States)|Major]]
|servicenumber= 
|unit= 
|commands= 
|battles= [[World War II]]<br/>[[Korean War]]
|awards= [[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|Distinguished Service Cross]]<br/>[[Silver Star]]<br/>[[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)|Distinguished Flying Cross]] (3)<br/>[[Bronze Star Medal]]<br/>[[Air Medal]] (15)

|relations= 
|laterwork= 
}}
'''Lonnie R. Moore''' (13 July 1920 – 10 January 1956)<ref name=ONJ>{{cite news|title=Double Jet Ace Dies In Crash: Maj. Moore Is Victim At Eglin Field [sic]|work=The Okaloosa News-Journal|date=12 January 1956|volume=42|number=2|page=6}}</ref> was a United States military aviator who flew 54 combat missions in [[Martin B-26 Marauder]]s during World War II, and whom became a double jet [[Flying ace|ace]] during the [[Korean War]], downing ten [[MiG-15]]s and one probable while flying [[North American F-86 Sabre]]s. He was killed in the crash of a new fighter type at [[Eglin AFB]], Florida, at age 35.

==Biography==
Lonnie Raymond Moore was a native of [[Groesbeck, Limestone, Texas|Groesbeck]] and [[San Antonio, Texas]], the son of Joseph Benjamin (J. B.) and Lillie Toten Moore of that city.<ref name=ONJ/>

During World War II, Moore piloted [[B-26 Marauder]] medium bombers of the [[596th Bombardment Squadron|596th Bomb Squadron (Medium)]], [[397th Bombardment Group|397th Bomb Group (Medium)]], in the European Theatre of Operations, flying 54 missions, and being downed twice. In both cases, he evaded capture to return to duty.<ref name=ONJ/> On 2 December 1944, Moore and his crew bailed out of B-26G-5-MA, ''43-34290'', over [[Nogent sur Vernisson]], France, after an engine caught fire.<ref name=Baugher>{{Cite web|url=http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1943_2.html|title = 1943 USAAF Serial Numbers (43-5109 to 43-52437)}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/AARmonthly/dec1944O.htm|title=December 1944 USAAF Overseas Accident Reports|work=Aviation Archaeological Investigation & Research|access-date=2012-06-12|archive-date=2018-09-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180927005452/http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/AARmonthly/Dec1944O.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>
 
In the post-war era, he transitioned to fighter aircraft. As a captain, he was assigned to the Air Proving Ground Command at Eglin AFB, Florida, in 1951, where he served as a project officer during the Korean War, deploying TDY to Korea to perform a test under combat conditions with the [[335th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron]], [[4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing]] in the modified F-86F-2 Sabre, upgunned with the [[M39 cannon]]. During the test mission he downed two MiG-15s with the new weapon.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Sayles|first=Herbert|title=Air Force Test Tube|journal=The All Florida Weekly Magazine|publisher=Perry Printing Process Company|location=Ocala, Florida|date=14 July 1955|volume=3|number=25|page=3}}</ref> Remaining in Korea after the test was completed, he flew 100 combat missions, destroying ten [[MiG]]s,<ref>Toliver, Raymond F. and Constable, Trevor J., "Fighter Aces of the U.S.A.", Aero Publishers, Inc., Fallbrook, California, 1979, Library of Congress card number 79-53300, {{ISBN|0-8168-5792-X}}, pages 310, 318.</ref> plus one probable.<ref name=ONJ/> On 30 April 1953, on his 54th mission, Moore was forced to bail out of disabled F-86F-2, ''51–2803'', due to an engine stall following cannon-firing,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1951.html|title=1951 USAF Serial Numbers}}</ref> approximately 20 miles north of [[Chodo Airport|Ch'o Do Island]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.accident-report.com/world/asia/korea1.html|title=USAF/USAAF Aircraft Accidents 1943 – 1955 for Korea|work=Accident-Report.com|access-date=2012-06-12|archive-date=2016-03-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303235915/http://www.accident-report.com/world/asia/korea1.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> coming down in the [[Yellow Sea]]. He was plucked from the water as soon as he got out of his parachute harness by a [[Sikorsky H-19|YH-19]] helicopter of the [[3d Air Rescue Squadron]]<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.questia.com/library/1G1-83791579/sabre-pilot-pickup-unconventional-contributions-to|title=Sabre Pilot Pickup: Unconventional Contributions to Air Superiority in Korea|journal=Air Power History|volume=49|number=1 |last=Marion|first=Forrest L.|date=Spring 2002}}</ref> that had monitored his descent.<ref>{{cite web|title=Capt. Lonnie R. Moore|work=Get Out and Walk|url=http://www.ejection-history.org.uk/project/Biographies/M/Moore_Lonnie/Moore_Lonnie.htm|access-date=2012-06-12|archive-date=2010-12-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101215033310/http://ejection-history.org.uk/PROJECT/Biographies/M/Moore_Lonnie/Moore_Lonnie.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Moore scored his fifth aerial victory on 18 June 1953.<ref>Wagner, Ray, "The North American Sabre", Doubleday & Company, Inc., Garden City, New York, 1963, page 62.</ref> 

Returning to Eglin by the last quarter of 1953, Moore was one of seven fighter pilots "who made exceptional records in Korea" profiled by ''[[Collier's Magazine]]'' in the October issue.<ref>Fort Walton Beach, Florida, "Fort Walton Beach Ace Is Featured In Magazine Story", ''Playground News'', Thursday 15 October 1953, Volume 8, Number 38, page 12.</ref> Moore served as the Air Force Operational Test Center's chief project officer for operational suitability tests of the Air Force's first supersonic jet fighter, the [[North American F-100 Super Sabre|F-100A Super Sabre]], in 1954, and the F-100C, from October 1955, on which test program Moore served as senior project officer,<ref>Fort Walton Beach, Florida, "Five F-100C Super Sabres Arrive at Eglin for Tests", ''Playground News'', Thursday 6 October 1955, Volume 9, Number 87, page 20.</ref><ref name=PN>
{{cite news|title=Lonnie R. Moore, Double Jet Ace, Dies in Crash|work=Playground News|location=Fort Walton Beach, Florida|date=12 January 1956|volume=10|number=49|page=1}}</ref> from April 1955.<ref name=ONJ/>

==Death==
On 10 January 1956, Moore was killed in the take-off crash of an [[F-101 Voodoo|F-101A-15-MC Voodoo]], ''53-2443'', from Eglin AFB. Moore was making his first flight in the new fighter design but the jet pitched up<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fisrg.com/F101info1.html|title=F-101A single-seat fighter|publisher=Fighter-Interceptor Squadron Reunion Group|access-date=2012-06-12|archive-date=2012-02-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204162442/http://www.fisrg.com/F101info1.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> and crashed in the center of the airfield just after becoming airborne, appearing to explode on impact. Although the crash site was only {{Convert|200|yd}} from the fire station, and the blaze extinguished within three minutes, the pilot had no chance to escape and was killed. He was survived by his widow, the former Billie Geneva Hall,<ref name=ONJ/> (also reported as Billie Geneeva Hall)<ref name=PN/> of [[Dallas, Texas]], and five children, Robert Barnes, 15; Barbara W., 13; Lonnie R. Jr., 7; Tina Gail, 3 1/2 and Steven Scott, 20 months old. Moore had been a resident of [[Fort Walton Beach, Florida]] for five years.<ref name=ONJ/> He is buried at [[Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery]].

At the time of his death, Moore had more than 1,500 hours in single-engine jet aircraft and 3,570 total flight hours,<ref name=PN/> 328 of them in combat.<ref name=ONJ/>

==Honors and awards==
Moore held 14 decorations, including the Nation's second highest award, the [[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|Distinguished Service Cross]],<ref>
{{cite web|url=http://militarytimes.com/citations-medals-awards/recipient.php?recipientid=7006|title=Lonnie R. Moore|work=Hall of Valor|publisher=Military Times}}</ref> plus the [[Silver Star]], the [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)|Distinguished Flying Cross]] with two oak clusters, the [[Bronze Star Medal|Bronze Star]] and the [[Air Medal]] with 14 clusters.<ref name=ONJ/>

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
* [https://archive.today/20130414152637/http://www.doubleace.org/ Memorial site to Lonnie Moore created by his son, Steven]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Moore, Lonnie R.}}
[[Category:1920 births]]
[[Category:1956 deaths]]
[[Category:Accidental deaths in Florida]]
[[Category:American Korean War flying aces]]
[[Category:American test pilots]]
[[Category:Aviators from Texas]]
[[Category:Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in the United States]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States)]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Air Medal]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Silver Star]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)]]
[[Category:United States Air Force officers]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces officers]]
[[Category:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1956]]
[[Category:Victims of flight test accidents]]
[[Category:People from Groesbeck, Texas]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Texas]]
[[Category:Burials at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery]]
[[Category:Shot-down aviators]]