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Moura, Arthur S. (01333512): Difference between revisions

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|class_section=6A
|class_section=6A
|class_rank=2nd Lt
|class_rank=2nd Lt
|class_branch=Inf
|birth_year=1923
|birth_year=1923
|death_year=2008
|death_year=2008
|nativity=US
|nativity=United States
|religion=C
|religion=Catholic
|overseas=N
|overseas=N
|certificate=11229
|certificate=11229
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|class_display=29
|class_display=29
|photo=6057691514252719.jpg
|photo=6057691514252719.jpg
|death_date=29 October 2008
|birth_place=Taunton, Massachusetts
|arm_or_service=Infantry
|rank_final=Brigadier General
|awards=Legion of Merit; Army Commendation Medal
|awards_grid=Legion of Merit;;Army Commendation Medal
|awards_ribbons=Ribbon_Legion_of_Merit_ribbon.png;Ribbon_Army_Commendation_Medal_ribbon.png
|awards_ribbon_rows=Ribbon_Legion_of_Merit_ribbon.png;;Ribbon_Army_Commendation_Medal_ribbon.png
}}
}}


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'''[[Moura, Arthur S. (01333512)|Arthur S. Moura]]''' (1923–2008) was a Ritchie Boy (from United States; Catholic) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 29.
'''[[Moura, Arthur S. (01333512)|Arthur S. Moura]]''' (1923 – 29 October 2008) was a Taunton-born Portuguese-American Ritchie Boy who became a brigadier general specializing in U.S.–Latin American relations and served as Defense Attaché in Brazil.
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== Biography ==
== Biography ==
Arthur S, Moura was a Ritchie Boy. Born in Taunton, Massachusetts, in 1923, [[Moura, Arthur S. (01333512)|Arthur Moura]] was a son of Portuguese immigrant parents. In 1943 he was drafted into the U.S. Army and, after basic training, married his high school sweetheart and fellow Portuguese-American, Jo. His language skills and hard-charging demeanor soon won him a slot at the Infantry Officer Candidate School and launched his career. General Moura was a decorated Army officer who specialized in US-Latin American relations. Military decorations included the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit and the Army Commendation Medal with two clusters. He also earned the Order of the Southern Cross, and the Orders of Military Naval and Armed Forces Merit from Brazil. He served three tours at the Pentagon including one with the Joints Chiefs of Staff. He also served one tour in the Panama Canal Zone and two tours in Brazil, one in Rio and one in Brasilia, where he was the Defense Attaché. Included in his military career were nine special assignments at the White House under Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon. He was a frequent guest lecturer at the National War College, the Industrial College of the Armed Forces and the Foreign Service Institute on the role of the Latin American armed forces and U. General Moura was fluent in both Portuguese and Spanish. He was inducted into both the Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame and the Hall of Fame of the Defense Intelligence as a Distinguished Military Attache. Following his retirement from the Army in 1975, after 33 years of continuous active duty, he and wife Jo stayed in Brazil where he served as Executive Assistant to the President for the international company, Mendes Junior Construction Group. He retired from that position in 1991 and repatriated to Venice, Florida, where he lived until June 2007. General Moura earned a BS degree from the University of Maryland and an MA degree in Latin American Civilization from the George Washington University in Washington. General Moura passed away on October 29, 2008 at the age of 85. Photo is of Moura in 1972.
Arthur S. Moura was born in Taunton, Massachusetts, in 1923 to Portuguese immigrant parents and grew up fluent in Portuguese and Spanish. Drafted in 1943, he completed basic training, married his high-school sweetheart Jo, attended Infantry Officer Candidate School, and trained at Camp Ritchie in Class 29.
 
Moura built a long Army career focused on U.S.–Latin American relations. He earned a B.S. from the University of Maryland and an M.A. in Latin American civilization from George Washington University. He served three Pentagon tours (including Joint Chiefs of Staff duty), one tour in the Panama Canal Zone, and two tours in Brazil—in Rio de Janeiro and Brasília—as Defense Attaché. He also carried out nine special White House assignments under Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon. Mentored in part by [[Walters, Vernon A. (01284614)|Vernon A. Walters]], he later lectured at the National War College, the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, and the Foreign Service Institute. Decorations recorded in public memorials include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, and Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, together with Brazilian orders. He was inducted into the Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame and the Defense Intelligence Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Military Attaché.
 
After retiring in 1975 following 33 years of continuous active duty, he remained in Brazil as executive assistant to the president of Mendes Junior Construction Group. He died on 29 October 2008 at age 85 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.


== Research notes ==
== Research notes ==
''No notes were in the source row. Add what you know.''
* Distinguished Service Medal is attested in public memorial text but no matching local ribbon file was available; kept in Biography prose only.


== Technical record ==
== Technical record ==
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== Timeline ==
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed soldier-timeline">
<div class="soldier-timeline-body">
* 1923 — Born in Taunton, Massachusetts.
* 1943 — Drafted; later Infantry OCS and Camp Ritchie Class 29.
* Postwar career — Latin American attaché/intelligence assignments; White House special duties; Defense Attaché in Brazil.
* 1975 — Retired after 33 years of continuous active duty; remained in Brazil with Mendes Junior Construction Group.
* 29 October 2008 — Died (age 85); buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
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== Sources ==
== Sources ==
* Camp Ritchie class roster (classes 1–31), merged research file
* American Intelligence Journal 36, no. 1 (2019): “Attaché in Brazil: Arthur Moura’s Long March, 1945–1975 — A Memoir,” by BG (USA, Ret.) Arthur S. Moura (RB Archive PDF copy)
* [https://archivesblog.lib.umassd.edu/2014/05/30/program-honoring-wwii-portuguese-american-veterans/ UMass Dartmouth Archives blog — Program Honoring WWII Portuguese-American Veterans (30 May 2014)]
* [https://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/asmoura.htm Arlington National Cemetery website — Arthur S. Moura memorial biography]
* Camp Ritchie Museum, Inc. (The Ritchie History Museum), Classes 1–31 roster data
* Dan Gross research spreadsheets, including original Excel timeline/roster work, combined with other research and records
* NARA World War II Army enlistment records (where a NARA ASN is present)
* NARA World War II Army enlistment records (where a NARA ASN is present)
* 1940 U.S. Census (where a census match is present)
* 1940 U.S. Census (where a census match is present)
* Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2023-01-17 (1 post)
* Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2023-01-17 (1 post)
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