
By Sherrie Norris
If ever there was a patriot who loved God, country, family and his fellow man, it was Watauga County native Herbert Cleveland Moretz, Jr.
Known simply as H. C. by those who knew him best, Moretz died just two months short of his 101st birthday, proving the “dash” between one’s birth and death dates (March 14, 1924 —January 9, 2025) holds great significance; the space of time was one he never squandered.
Not only was Moretz a patriot in every sense of the word, he was also Watauga County’s last known survivor of World War II.

He served his country with pride through one of history’s most indelible eras, and returned home as a decorated war hero in the late ‘40s.
Moretz entered Appalachian State Teachers College in 1950, obtained a degree in business and social studies, taught business for 15 years in Yadkin County and also managed Elkin Business College.
He returned to Boone In 1966 as director of the Neighborhood Youth Corps Program under WAMY Community Action, (serving the counties of Watauga, Avery, Mitchell and Yancey) and two years later, became the organization’s executive director.
Before retiring at the end of 1994, Moretz had led WAMY through nearly three decades of incredible growth and innovation. He played an important role in helping develop Boone’s modern public transportation system, which evolved into today’s Appalcart; he helped introduced the local Head Start and breakfast programs in public schools, and Blueridge Hearthside Crafts, in addition to WIC programs, housing rehabilitation and basic education, to name a few community efforts.
He always kept in the forefront the needs of the people he served, and helped to encourage their independence.
He also offered an income tax service, which occupied his time for 70 years.
Moretz was known for his optimism, his innovation and faith — and he never wavered from standing up for that which was right.
As a quiet man, small in stature who never sought the spotlight, Moretz stood out among many as a giant of a man, both on and off the battlefield.

Marching Off To War
Moretz was drafted into the army in July 1944 at the age of 19. Two years later, he returned home with medals — and scars.
In the meantime, his infantry training in the states led him to Europe
with the 78 Lightning Division, landing in Liverpool, England and riding a train to Southhampton before crossing the channel to France.
His arrival coincided with the onset of the infamous Battle of the Bulge.
Moretz never forgot the frigid Christmas Eve of 1944, in a tent camp in LeHarve, France, across the English Channel from England.

“The following day, Christmas Day, packed into freight cars, we rode the train near Paris. From there, traveling in open cattle trucks, we headed to the front lines.”
Within days, he was in combat action, assigned to Company A, 309th Regiment.
His combat introduction was defending a “pill box,” a concrete bunker, six-feet thick, in Belgium along the Siegfried Line.
“The fog was so thick, we could hardly see,” Moretz said. “My first sergeant said, ‘Get up here where you can see and start shooting. You’ll want to be able to tell your grandchildren about this.'”
Moretz was “scared to death,” he said. “Artillery fire was so close that dirt was blown in the trench on us. We held the pill box and spent weeks patrolling in the Hertigan Forest to keep Germans from fortifying the area.”
Also battling snow and cold, Moretz was among those soldiers whose feet literally froze in the trenches as they tried to sleep.
“When the snow began to thaw, we launched a drive through the plains of Germany, taking small towns and villages,” Moretz said.
His unit received the Presidential Unit Medal for taking and holding the Schwammenauel Dam.
While gathered at the top of a long, steep hill to start the night attack on the dam, Moretz recalled, “Our mess sergeant brought us hot food, including fried chicken. But, we only got the smell, there was no time to eat.”
They were in a horizontal line heading down the wooded hill toward the dam, Moretz said. “It was so dark that each man to the right was responsible for keeping contact with the person on his left. I was near the end of the line. Somehow, six to eight of us got disconnected. As we approached a ridge, all hell broke loose below us. In the dark, we didn’t know which side to join.
Hand-to-hand fighting began. A number of Americans were lost. We were able to join our company the next morning. The urgency of this action was to take the dam before the Germans blew it up and flooded the area as a defense.”
His unit received its second Presidential Unit Medal for Crossing the Ludendorf Bridge on the Rhine River near Remegan. “This was a railroad bridge, and the German Air force was trying to bomb the bridge as we crossed,” he said.
The width of the Rhine River found Moretz thinking, as he crossed, that it was too wide for him to swim back.
“I knew there wasn’t much equipment on the other side,” he recalled. “The Germans also had the bridge wired to blow, but the combat engineers were able to cut the wires. We were forced to march for two straight days to get across before they could destroy the bridge from the air.”
Within the week, the railway bridge collapsed.
Two days after crossing the Rhine, German machine gun fire separated Moretz and five of his buddies from their company. “We were hiding behind small pine trees, lying on the ground — a German machine gun in front of us and one in the back of us. If we moved, they fired and bark flew off the trees.”
This continued for some time with everything looking rather hopeless,” he said. “Finally, a tank rescued us.”
Soon afterward, the soldiers were lined up in the woods, again down behind trees.
“We were told to move up hill, 20 to 30 feet,” Moretz said. “The soldier below me moved to the same tree I had just moved from. As we hit the ground, a German 88 artillery shell landed right where I had been. The concussion from the shell blew me off the ground, my helmet and rifle both flew into the woods. Shrapnel from the shell bent the bolt on my rifle; it no longer worked. A piece of shrapnel tore out the seat of my pants and stuck to my buttocks. The Good Lord was looking out for me.”

But he was not out of danger. “The war was winding down; our company was cleaning out pockets that had been bypassed. A tank had sprayed a wooded area with 50-caliber machine gun fire; about a dozen of us were told to go into the area and clean it out. ‘Hitler Youth’ were waiting and began firing. Another wounded soldier and I ran behind a small bank. Dirt was flying all around our feet, but we made it. I didn’t know until then that I could outrun bullets.”
When first entering combat, Moretz was among strangers.
“You make friends quickly and easily in these situations,” he said. ” But, it really does something to you to see a comrade get killed, knowing you have to go on.”
On the ship enroute to Europe, Moretz met up with George Winebarger, a neighbor from back home, but other faces were unfamiliar, at first.
Moretz returned home with memories and medals.
Until shortly before his death, he looked solemnly at the little box that held his Purple Heart, as well as a Good Conduct Medal and his Infantry Combat badge and others.
“I feel this was a war for which a man felt it was his duty to serve,” he surmised.
And he did live to tell his grandchildren all about it.
One of The Lucky Ones
Discharged in May of 1946, Moretz often referred to himself as “one of the lucky ones” who made it back home after World War II.
He never forgot those days as a young soldier, serving in the military at the same time with three of his brothers. At some point during World War 11, however, all six boys in his family were in service.
What a time that must’ve been for their parents back on the family farm with no modern technology like we have today to keep them informed of the actions and well-being of their sons.
Among the highlights of his life, Moretz shared — both as a veteran and as a civilian — included his trip to Washington DC as part of the Honor Flights in 2011, sponsored by the Sunrise Rotary Club of Boone.
He was also a part of the WWII Symposium held several years ago at Appalachian State University, and was one of 30 local World War II veterans featured in the Veterans Voice, a collection of recorded interviews — both opportunities made possible by The Appalachian High Country World War II Roundtable.
Moretz joined his friend Ken Wiley, noted WWII Veteran, author and public speaker (now deceased) on several occasions at speaking engagements around the region, including those “at least twice a year to Elizabethton, Tenn.,” said his daughter Dorinda, who often drove the men to their destination. She also accompanied them to Fredericksburg, Texas, in late October 2018, where the two men were honored guests at the National Museum of the Pacific War; they also spoke with ROTC classes at Fredericksburg High School .
“Dad loved to talk to anyone, especially younger people, about the war and how America came together to do what needed to be done.”
On June 10, 2012, Moretz received the Order Of The Long Leaf Pine Award, which he considered a great honor for the work he did in and for the High Country community.
Moretz was again honored in celebration of his 100th birthday in March 2024, at the Agricultural Extension Center in Boone. A large crowed came together, and others sent cards from miles around, to show their love and appreciation for what his family referred to as “his century of life and bravery.”
His family shared that he never got over the death of his wife, Phyllis,
Who died April 17, 2017, after 66 years of marriage.
One of his favorite memories was their “wedding” on Dec. 23, 1951, after a Christmas play —in which he was a wise man.
This writer had the privilege, on several occasions, to sit with Moretz and hear his life story, opportunities that will never be forgotten.
Obituary for H.C. Moretz
According to his obituary, provided by Austin and Barnes Funeral Home in Boone, Moretz, was born March 14, 1924, a son of the late Herbert Clevland, Sr.and Pearl Carpenter Moretz. He passed away peacefully Thursday, January 9, 2025, at his home on Stadium Drive in Boone, a proud member of the Greatest Generation.
He is survived by his four children – Dorinda Moretz, Michael Moretz (Janet), Monica Styron (Craig), and Veronica Johnson (Brian). Eight grandchildren – John Younce, Mike Younce (Julie), Gwen Younce, Ashley Moretz-ELKS (Amber), Zachary Styron (Ashley), Sydney Styron Anding (Josh), Aidan Styron, and Sophie Johnson.
He is also survived by four great grandchildren – Grayson Younce, Amira Younce, River Younce, and Bradley Styron.
Also surviving are one brother John Walter Moretz, a number of nieces and nephews and his 4 legged companion, Lil Bit.
In addition to his wife, Phyllis Wilson Moretz, he was also preceded in death by one sister, Gladys Moretz Coffey and brothers George Moretz, Roy Moretz, Clayton Moretz, and Willis Moretz.
He was a member of Bethany Lutheran Church in Boone.
He loved to be with his family, play cornhole, solitare, and kept his wife’s tradition going by making her homemade yeast bread.
Funeral Services for H.C Moretz Jr. will be conducted Thursday morning, January 16, 2025 at 11:00 am at Bethany Lutheran Church. The body will lie in state from 10:00-11:00am. Officiating will be Pastor Laura Weant. Military graveside rites and burial will follow in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery.
The family will receive friends Wednesday evening, January 15, 2025 from 5-8pm at Austin and Barnes Funeral Home. The family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the nurses and case workers from Amorem, therapists from Medi Home Homecare and caregivers from Ashe Home Care, INC.

Photo by Sherrie Norris
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