Evening star., 1932-01-20
TWO ARMY MEN
CITED FOR VALOR
Air Corps Officer and Man
He Died to Save Both Get
Cheney Award.

The self-sacrifice of an Army Air
Corps officer who gave his life to save
that of an enlisted man, who in turn
later risked his life to save that of an
other pilot, we're honored today in the
first double award in history OF the
Cheney Award, given each year for the
outstanding act of valor performed by
an Air Corp officer or man.
The acts of heroism Of the two men
were so great that the special board
was unable to decioe between them ana
decided to make the award to both.
Those honored are the late Lieut.. Robert
D. Moor, killed in crash on August
% last, and Pvt. John B. Smith, then
q member of the Goth Attack Squadron,
Fort Crockett, Tex.
The posthumous awarding OF the
Distinguished Flying Cross to Lieut..
Moor for the same deed which won him
the Cheney Award, also was announced
today by the War Department.
Pilot Killed In Saving Private.
Lieut.. Moor sacrificed his life to save
that OF his enlisted passenger while on
duty as Regular Army instructor OF the
Michigan National Guard air unit last
August He was leading q three-plane
formation when q sudden gust OF WIND
threw the plane of a formation mate
into the tail Of Lieut. Moor's plane,
smashing the control surfaces and
throwing the plane partially cut. OF
control.
The shock threw the enlisted pas
senger, dazed, into the bottom Of his
cockpit. Lieut.. Moor might have saved
his life easily by taking to his para
chute. Instead he waited until his
passenger regained his senses and fin
ally obeyed repeated orders to jump.
BY this time the plane was only several
hundred feet off the ground. AS the
enlisted man jumped the loss of weight
in the tail sent the plane into steep
dive. 1t was too close to the ground
for Lieut.. Moor to jump, and he was
carried down to instant death in the
crash and his body burned. The pas
senger landed unhurt.
Lieut.. Moor,s mother, Mrs. Agnes w.
Moor, Holland, Ohio, will receive the
Cheney Award Plaque, citation GER
tificates and cash award, which is to
be used for a memorial to her sons
memory. The Distinguished Flying
Cross will be awarded to Lieut.. Moor's
daughter, Katherine A. Moor, Holland,
Ohio.
Private Saves Pilot.
Pvt. Smith was working in the target
supply house at Fort Crockett last jan
uary when he saw a plane, apparently
in trouble, flying toward the building.
He ordered two fellow workers to safety
and escaped just as the plane crashed
into the building and burst into flames.
The observer was thrown clear of the
wreckage but the pilot, Lieut.. c. w.
Causey, Air Corps Reserve, was trapped
unconscious in the cockpit Of the blaz-
ing plane.
Though dazed by flying debris and in
iuTed by having an ammunition box
dropped on his foot, Pvt. Smith went
TO the pilots rescue. Finding the pilots
shoe jammed in the rudder, the soldier
craWled into the burning cockpit,
though the pilots clothing already was
ablaze. unfastened the shoe and with
the aid of another soldier lifted the
unconscious pilot from the burning
wreckage.
For this act Pvt. Smith was awarded
the soldiers medal last July. He now
Is a member of Flight b, 18th Observa-
ton Squadron. Fort Benning. Ga. His
home is in Winnheld, La. Beside the
plaque and citation he will be given
substantial cash award.