A Commitment to Family
By Laurel Schlegel
Robert Harry Leon Moore
December 28, 1924-April 26, 1971
Robert Leon Moore served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. It is not his service that his family remembers him for most however, but his commitment to his family and his strong work ethic after the war. His love of the outdoors, and his time spent fishing and camping in Colorado with his family were the times most meaningful to his life.
Moore was born in Clay County, West Virginia on December 28, 1924.[1] He had one younger sister named Geraldine. While growing up, Moore was an avid hunter and fisher; he loved to be outdoors.[2] Moore enlisted in the military on June 21, 1943 at the age of 18.[3] At the time of his enlistment Moore was still living in Clay County with his mother.[4] Moore chose not to wait to be drafted, but rather enlisted voluntarily in the military, showing his passion to serve his country. A large part of his decision to enlist instead of being drafted was for the ability to choose which branch he would serve in. Moore chose the U.S. Navy, in which he would serve throughout the entirety of World War II. Moore’s grandson, Brian Topkoff, explained in an interview that Moore liked the idea of the Navy because it seemed like the better choice for him, saying that it was not necessarily easier, but it also was “not boots on the ground, gun in hand.”[5] He completed basic training in San Diego at the Naval Training Center San Diego (NTC San Diego).
From there, he was sent to Hawaii where he boarded his ship the USS Salt Lake City,[6] which he remained on for the entirety of his service. While in the Navy, Moore worked as a storekeeper, running the ship’s commissary.[7] When his crew was in need of small items like cigarettes, beer, or small snacks, Moore made sure they were taken care of. His grandson Brian Topkoff explains that Moore was a little rebellious at times, saying that he would sometimes fall asleep while working the commissary and that he had to stay in service longer because he did not have the record needed to get out when he was supposed to.[8]
While in service, Moore saw combat in the Pacific. His ship, the U.S.S. Salt Lake City, was a support ship during the invasion of Iwo Jima as well as the Battle of Okinawa. His ship took heavy fire during these battles. Fortunately, Moore did not sustain any combat related injuries.[9] During his time in the service, he often communicated with his sister through letters. He achieved the rank of First Bosun’s Mate, also known as the Boatswain mate. Boatswain’s mates served many duties on the ship from being helmsmen and lookouts, or security watches, or working on repairing, maintaining, and stowing equipment.[10] He was honorably discharged from the Navy on December 8, 1945,[11] after serving for about 2 and-a-half years.
After his service in the military, Moore returned home to Clay County. While there, he met his wife, Vesta, who was from a nearby small town in West Virginia.[12] About a year after leaving the service they had a daughter and were married. They relocated to Baltimore, Maryland and had another child. About ten years later, Moore got a job with Martin Marietta, and the family moved to Denver, Colorado.[13] Using his knowledge gained during his time in the Navy, he became an engineer for the company, where he worked on the Titan Missile System for the government. In Denver, Moore and his wife had two more children. His family and his career were very important to him. Moore was always known for having a good sense of humor, which his wife always thought he got in the military.[14] In Colorado, he was able to continue his love of the outdoors that he had growing up, fishing and hunting whenever he could. He would often take his family camping near Turquoise Lake, something they remember fondly. [15]
He became very close with his daughter’s husband. Moore’s son-in-law served in the Navy during the Vietnam War so they related well because of their shared experiences.[16] His grandson Brian Topkoff explained that according to his father, Moore “never spoke about the war, nothing about it.”[17] His time in the military was not as meaningful and rewarding to him as what came after. Topkoff explains that, “He was just a young kid who stepped up and did what he was supposed and needed to do at the time.”[18] Moore’s life after the war is what his family remembers him for. Even though Moore passed away a year before Topkoff was born, his grandson explains that he loves to fish as well, something passed down to him from his grandfather.[19] He still uses Moore’s old fishing gear, and loves seeing the way that his grandfather would tie flies, making him feel closer to him. From hearing about his grandpa though, Topkoff says that he has always admired Moore for his commitment to his family and his work ethic. Moore died on April 26, 1971 at just 47 years old. He is buried with his wife at Fort Logan National Cemetery.
Footnotes ↓
[1] “Find A Grave,” database, findagrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com (accessed November 2019) entry for Robert Leon Moore.
[2] Brian Topkoff, interview by Laurel Schlegel, Denver, Colorado October 21, 2019, DU VLP.
[3] U.S. Naval Service, Honorable Discharge Papers, provided by Brian Topkoff
[4] U.S. Naval Service, Enlistment Papers, provided y Brian Topkoff
[5] Brian Topkoff, interview by Laurel Schlegel, Denver, Colorado October 21, 2019, DU VLP.
[6] “U.S. World War II Navy Muster Rolls, 1938-1949,” database, Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestry.com (accessed November, 2019) entry for Robert Harry Leon Moore.
[7] U.S. Naval Service, Honorable Discharge Papers, provided by Brian Topkoff.
[8] Brian Topkoff, interview by Laurel Schlegel, Denver, Colorado October 21, 2019, DU VLP.
[9] Brian Topkoff, interview by Laurel Schlegel, Denver, Colorado October 21, 2019, DU VLP.
[10] Rod Powers, Navy Enlisted Job: Boatswain Mate, Careers, October 23, 2019, https://www.thebalancecareers.com/boatswain-s-mate-navy-enlisted-rating-descriptions-334576
[11] U.S. Naval Service, Honorable Discharge Papers, provided by Brian Topkoff.
[12] Brian Topkoff, interview by Laurel Schlegel, Denver, Colorado October 21, 2019, DU VLP.
[13] Brian Topkoff, interview by Laurel Schlegel, Denver, Colorado October 21, 2019, DU VLP.
[14] Ibid.
[15] Ibid.
[16] Ibid.
[17] Ibid.
[18] Ibid.
[19] Ibid.
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