At the age of 18 no one is equipped with the knowledge of Morse Code nor does anyone at this age spend their free time reading messages written by light. In this day and age we only spend our time reading text messages on our phones.

For Cecil Moore at the age of 18 he was sending and reading messages by light during World War II. Moore was 18 years old when he enlisted into the Navy. He attended Sasakwa High School for 11 IA years before he was shipped off to Farragut, Idaho for his basic training.

While in the Navy, he was trained to be a signalman. During World War II signalmen were specifically trained to read and send messages using signal lamps. It was Moore’s job to send and receive messages using his 24 inch arc light.

He would signal oncoming ships on the horizon and ask them who they were back and forth with each other using Morse Code. He was given the name “steady light” because he could read lights so fast. “I could read lights as fast as they flashed.” He says. The Marines also wanted Cecil because of this. They told him “we need a man like you...”

After basics he went to Pearl Harbor for combat training. After Pearl Harbor he was sent to Okinawa, the bloodiest part of the war.

The Battle of Okinawa was fought from April 1944 to June 1946. It is known as the biggest sea-land-air battle in history. Over 12,000 men lost their lives and 38,000 were wounded during this battle. Moore was in the 3rd Marines. During combat he was hit in the head with the butt of a rifle and causes his right hand to now shake.

He is a 100% disabled vet. After completing the Okinawa Battle he returned home on May 7, 1946.

Moore was honored with the point system, Victory Medal, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal with 1 star, the Combat Action Ribbon for service in the Battle of Okinawa (1945).

Nowadays Moore is retired. He and his wife, Veta, owned a beauty salon in Wewoka, called Cecil and Veta’s, for “50 odd years.” He has a new definition for war and that is “war”.