Moses L. Alves was born on November 23, 1934. His home of record is Elizabeth, NJ. At only three years of age, Moses came to the U.S. through Ellis Island with his parents and three siblings from Portugal. He received a B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in upstate New York. He was commissioned from AFROTC. He went on to receive his MS in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering from The Air Force Institute of Technology.

He entered the US Air Force and attained the rank of Major (MAJ). According to his wife, Teddi, when Moses was alerted to the potential of a tour in Vietnam as required of all rated AF officers, his response was “I am not a ‘peacetime officer.” He felt that the values of officers of our Armed Forces are to serve to protect, preserve, and defend all we hold dear from enemies, foreign and domestic. He served as a navigator/SOS operator on Shadow 76, an AC-119G gunship. He was in the service from 1957-1969.

Alves was killed in action on October 11, 1969 in a plane crash on a combat mission in Vietnam. During take-off from Tan Son Nhut AB, the left engine caught fire, the aircraft went into a steep descending left turn, hitting the ground and bursting into flames. The Shadow 76 was the first aircraft lost for the 17th SOS. A memorial plaque was dedicated at Hulbert Field Air Commando Park in Florida in memory of him and the other men aboard. It was dedicated on October 5, 2003. He was survived by his wife, Teddi, and two sons. He married Teddi on November 28, 1959. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Source: NJVVMF and various websites.
12/17/2024