Purple Heart recipient Steve Moore bonds with classmates by sharing his story
Steve Moore’s life changed April 23, 2011.
He began the day eating breakfast at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan when a “Fallen Angel” call came in — a helicopter had been shot down.
When Moore’s platoon arrived on the scene, one pilot was deceased, the other injured. The soldiers returned suppressive fire as 30 men moved toward them. The next thing Moore can remember was a burning hot sensation on his right leg.
“I look down and see blood everywhere,” Moore remembers. “My medics were yelling, ‘You’re hit! You’re hit!’”
With a bandaged leg, Moore, using a rifle as a crutch, walked two kilometers down a gorge in knee-deep water to reach the evacuation point. Then-MG Stephen Townsend, who descended from his air command post 10,000 feet above, rescued Moore, returning him to the base for surgery.
He was transferred to Landstuhl, Germany, for additional procedures to repair blood vessels in his leg and undergo physical therapy. Moore’s leg could bear weight after about a month, and he requested a return to Afghanistan — even though he was offered the chance to recover stateside.
When he returned, he received the Purple Heart — the oldest military award, which is given to U.S. military members who are injured or killed in the line of duty.
Civilian Life and Campus Connection
Moore, who arrived on campus in fall 2024, joins a long line of military veterans using the GI bill to continue their education at Charlotte. Life after military service can be challenging, physically and mentally, but Moore said the campus community has given him a spark.
“What energizes me is walking through the quad and connecting with people on campus,” Moore said. “And it’s like, in what world would a 19-year-old and a 36-year-old be buddies?”
As a nontraditional student, Moore is older and has a different lived experience. But, he finds the classroom dynamic interesting. He jokingly reminds classmates that when he was their age, he was climbing mountains in Afghanistan with 100 pounds of gear.
Still, Moore has formed bonds with his younger classmates through their personal military connections and their desire to hear his story.
“There’s so much talk about the future generations, but once you get past that non-serious part, it gives you some hope for the future,” Moore said. “These students care. They want to hear those stories. They want to engage. And, that’s motivating for me.”
With aspirations to pursue a legal career, Moore chose to study communications, knowing that strong interpersonal skills are essential for attorneys. As a member of the Student Veterans Association, he has begun sharing his military experiences — even when it’s difficult — and advocating for mental health awareness.
“I’ve become more open about my mental health struggles because I’ve learned that when you try to suppress it, it festers,” Moore said. “I’ve learned that talking about it is sometimes the best medicine.”
Moore sees fellow students asking veterans how they’re doing, asking if they want to talk and listening to their stories.
“Those are all things that give a veteran motivation to keep going day to day,” said Moore.
Photography as Purpose
In early 2010, while stationed in Afghanistan, Moore was asked to take photos for the Public Affairs Office due to a lack of embedded journalists. Having shot film photography as a kid, he was handed a camera and began documenting his unit and the sweeping mountain landscapes around them.
Photography remains a passion. Today, Moore shoots for military-aligned nonprofits and UNC Charlotte’s Military and Veteran Services Office. He also freelances for the Niner Times, where he’s covered sports events.
“I always feel like I’m missing something,” Moore said. “I’m always chasing that adrenaline rush I got from combat and I find myself being drawn to exhilarating situations and opportunities through photography.”