Thomas Travis Moore was born on May 9, 1912, in Mt. Calm, Texas, one of six children of Zephaniah Jackson and Mary Lucretia (Billington) Moore. The family moved to Axtell, Texas, in the 1920s, and Thomas graduated from Axtell High School in 1930. He moved to Dallas and worked for his brother, W. A. Moore, until receiving a draft notice in early1942. Moore enlisted in the Marine Corps on January 24, 1942, and was sent overseas on May 9, 1943, where he saw action in the Pacific Theater. He received several citations for heroic action, including a Silver Star for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity" on Guadalcanal during January 2-4, 1943, and in early 1944 was promoted to Sergeant. Moore was critically wounded on May 15, 1944, and died two days later, He was buried at sea, but his family placed a headstone in the Axtell Baptist Church Cemetery. He was survived by his mother and five siblings.

Moore wrote frequently to his family when he lived in Dallas and after his enlistment. The collection includes his letters to his parents and siblings, official letters notifying his family of his death, military service records including copies of his citations, and a few photographs and newspaper clippings. It also includes research notes and information gathered by his nephew Mitch Templeton and historian Robert J. Robertson, and a copy of the fall 2000 issue of Texas Military History which includes Robertson's monograph, "A Texan at War: Sergeant Travis Moore, USMC, 1942-1944."

Folder	Description
1	Correspondence from Moore to his Family 1930, 1933, 1939-1942
2	January-March 1942
3	April-May 1942
4	July-August 1942
5	October-November 1942
6	December 1942-April 1943
7	May-August 1943
8	September-November 1943
9	December 1943-February 1944
10	March-April 1944
11	Fragments, covers
12	Correspondence: Letters to the Moore Family 1928, 1942-1945, n.d.
13	Official Letters, 1944, 1947-1948
14	Military Records Service Records
15	Citations
16	Photographs
17	News Clippings
18	Collected Materials Family History
19	Mitch Templeton – Robert Robertson Research Notes and Correspondence
20	Templeton's Interviews with Richard N. Elliott and Joseph Brown*
21	Robertson's Research Questionnaires
22	Second Marine Division Association Directory
23	Military History of the West, fall 2000, vol. 30, no. 2
24	"Remembering the Legendary ‘Jim' Crowe"
	*Access and use are restricted since no releases are available

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