John Cary Morgan (1914 - 1991)

Born 24 Aug 1914 in Vernon Wilbarger County Texas, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Christine (Ziegler) Morgan — married 1947 (to 1991) in Chicago, Illinois

Died 17 Jan 1991 at age 76 in Papillion Sarpy County Nebraska, United States

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Biography

Born in Vernon

This profile is part of the New Mexico Military Institute, Roswell, New Mexico One Place Study.

John Morgan was awarded the Medal of Honor.

2nd Lt John Morgan served in the Royal Canadian Air Force in World War II
Service started: August 1941
Unit(s): RAF Bomber Command
Service ended: 1943

John Morgan is a Military Veteran.
Served in the United States Army Air Force March 23, 1943-1945
92nd Bomb Group's 326th Bomb Squadron and 482nd Bomb Group

John Morgan is a Military Veteran.
Served in the United States Air Force 1950-1953
served stateside during the Korean "War", Retired

When questioned of his valor and heroism, Morgan replied," There's no such thing as a hero.... I was pushed into circumstances where I was forced to act. You can never say how you're going to react to something until it happens, but I think most people would have done the same."

John Cary Morgan on Wikipedia.

On March 6, 1944, Morgan was the pilot of a B-17 leading the first major USAAF attack against Berlin when he was shot down and captured, held in Stalag Luft I, Barth, Germany, for the remainder of the war (14 months), the only person to become a POW after being awarded the Medal of Honor.^[1]

The pineapple plantation mentioned in Wikipedia might have been the one owned by Albert George McCown, who was married to John's aunt Jonnie Roberta at the time. It was on the Isle of Ovalau, Fiji Islands. Distinction: World War II Medal of Honor

Additional details: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty, while participating on a bombing mission over enemy-occupied continental Europe, 28 July 1943. Prior to reaching the German coast on the way to the target, the B17 airplane in which 2d Lt. Morgan was serving as copilot was attacked by a large force of enemy fighters, during which the oxygen system to the tail, waist, and radio gun positions was knocked out. A frontal attack placed a cannon shell through the windshield, totally shattering it, and the pilot's skull was split open by a.303 caliber shell, leaving him in a crazed condition. The pilot fell over the steering wheel, tightly clamping his arms around it. 2d Lt. Morgan at once grasped the controls from his side and, by sheer strength, pulled the airplane back into formation despite the frantic struggles of the semiconscious pilot. The interphone had been destroyed, rendering it impossible to call for help. At this time the top turret gunner fell to the floor and down through the hatch with his arm shot off at the shoulder and a gaping wound in his side. The waist, tail, and radio gunners had lost consciousness from lack of oxygen and, hearing no fire from their guns, the copilot believed they had bailed out. The wounded pilot still offered desperate resistance in his crazed attempts to fly the airplane. There remained the prospect of flying to and over the target and back to a friendly base wholly unassisted. In the face of this desperate situation, 2d Lt. Officer Morgan made his decision to continue the flight and protect any members of the crew who might still be in the ship and for 2 hours he flew in formation with one hand at the controls and the other holding off the struggling pilot before the navigator entered the steering compartment and relieved the situation. The miraculous and heroic performance of 2d Lt. Morgan on this occasion resulted in the successful completion of a vital bombing mission and the safe return of his airplane and crew. Rank: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Corps, 326th Bomber Squadron, 92d Bomber Group.

Born August 24, 1914, in Vernon, Texas, son of attorney Samuel A. Morgan Sr. and Verna Johnson Morgan,[1] Morgan graduated from a military school in 1931 and then attended several colleges, including Amarillo College, New Mexico Military Institute, West Texas State Teachers College, and the University of Texas at Austin. While at Texas he learned to fly aircraft, and in 1934 dropped out of college. He worked in the Fiji Islands as a foreman on a pineapple plantation until 1938, when he returned to enlist as an aviation cadet in the U.S. Army Air Corps. However, because of his poor education record, he was refused enlistment. Working at an oil-drilling site for Texaco, Morgan suffered a broken neck in an industrial accident, and as a result was later classified 4-F by the Selective Service System.

In August, 1941, Morgan joined the Royal Canadian Air Force, and after completion of flight training in Saskatchewan, Ontario, and RAF Church Lawford, England, was posted as a Sergeant Pilot with RAF Bomber Command. On March 23, 1943, he was transferred to the U.S. Army Air Forces as a Flight Officer and assigned to the 92nd Bomb Group's 326th Bomb Squadron, RAF Alconbury, England.

Morgan, on his fifth U.S. mission, was co-pilot of a crew flying a B-17F, ser. no. 42-29802, to a target in Hanover, Germany, on July 28, 1943. It was for his participation in this mission that he received the Medal of Honor (citation shown below in full), which was awarded on December 18, 1943.

F/O Morgan transferred to the 482nd Bomb Group in October 1943 to fly B-17 H2X radar aircraft and was promoted to second lieutenant in November. He remained on combat duty, flying in all 25½ missions. On March 6, 1944, Morgan was the pilot of a B-17 leading the first major USAAF attack against Berlin when he was shot down and captured, held in Stalag Luft I, Barth, Germany, for the remainder of the war, the only person to become a POW after being awarded the Medal of Honor.

In 1948 Sy Bartlett and Beirne Lay, Jr. published their novel Twelve O'Clock High and used Morgan as a model for a primary character, Lt. Jesse Bishop. The wording of his actions appearing in his citation was used as dialogue in the script to describe the actions of Bishop under similar circumstances, and like Morgan, Bishop's character was awarded the Medal of Honor and later became a POW. The circumstances also became a featured part of the 1949 film adaptation.

After the war, Morgan returned to work for Texaco in California selling aviation fuel. Called back to active duty when the Korean War broke out, he took a leave of absence from Texaco (1950 - 1953) and applied for combat duty. The Air Force denied his request but allowed him to fly cargo planes in the United States for two years. He completed his final year on active duty in the office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force. He retired from the Air Force, a lieutenant colonel. Morgan is survived by his only child Sam Morgan, who himself retired from the US Air Force after 20 plus years of service. Morgan has four grandchildren and three step grandchildren of which three are currently serving in the Army and Marine Corps. Mark, the oldest, has served in every operation since Desert Storm in 1991 minus the Balkan Campaigns. John, Wade and Rachel have all served one or more tours in Iraq or Afghanistan since the attacks on 9/11.

Morgan died on January 17, 1991, of a heart attack and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

When questioned of his valor and heroism, Morgan replied," There's no such thing as a hero.... I was pushed into circumstances where I was forced to act. You can never say how you're going to react to something until it happens, but I think most people would have done the same."

Burial: Arlington National Cemetery Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA Plot: Section 59, Lot 351^[2]

Inscription:

MEDAL OF HONOR LT COL US AIR FORCE WORLD WAR II KOREA

Family links: Parents: Samuel Asa Leland Morgan (1885 - 1954) Verna Johnson Morgan (1885 - 1969)

Sources

1. ↑ Frisbee, John L. Crisis in the Cockpit. January 1984, Vol. 67, No. 1
2. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #7869617 LTC John Cary "Red" Morgan

• Oak Hill-Cedar Valley Pioneers (book); Wikipedia; oral family history.
• Medal of Honor List , Wikipedia