By Steve Waid
The late Bud Moore was one of the most successful team owners in NASCAR history and has been enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
But if he had never gone into auto racing, the chances are good that he would be equally remembered as an American war hero.
He became a soldier in the U.S. Army at age of 19. He was a member of the infantry almost immediately after he graduated from high school and was thrust into World War II. He was part of the invasion of Normandy – D-Day – on June 6, 1944.
From there he was part of Gen. George Patton’s Third Army which raced across Europe to Germany. He was wounded several times by shrapnel and machine gun fire, but kept returning to the front, always in the midst of action.
Moore was greatly affected by all that he experienced during the course of WWII. He willingly spoke of it throughout the years afterward – recalling virtually everything.
But he added:
“I never went back. I lost too many friends. When I boarded a boat to take me home I told the Lord that if he got me back through the 5,000 miles to home, I would never go back.”
For more than 32 years, Grand National/Winston Cup/NASCAR Scene writers and photographers were there to record NASCAR history as it was being made. Join hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid each week on The Scene Vault Podcast Presented by Q Ware as they take a look back at the extraordinary people, places and events woven into the rich tapestry that is our sport.
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