World War II Honoree

Roland Leon Morris

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Tiffin, Ohio

Honored By

Rodger Lee Morris

Relationship

Son

ENLISTED AS A SEAMAN RECRUIT IN THE U.S. NAVY JULY 1940 AFTER GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL AT THE ORPHANAGE IN WHICH HE GREW UP IN TIFFIN, OHIO. GRADUATED FROM BOOT CAMP AT NORFOLK, VIRGINIA ON DECEMBER 18, 1940 BECAME AN AVIATION METALSMITH 2ND CLASS. SELECTED FOR PILOT TRAINING IN 1943. COMMISSIONED AND RECEIVED HIS NAVY WINGS OF GOLD ON THE SAME DAY IN 1944. RECEIVED THE DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS AND THE AIR MEDAL FOR HIS ACTIONS IN COMBAT NEAR OKINAWA DURING 1945 AS A PBM-5 PATROL SEAPLANE COMMANDER. RECEIVED THE DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS FOR RESCUING AN AIR FORCE FIGHTER PILOT WHO HAD BEEN SHOT DOWN AND WAS FLOATING IN A LIFE RAFT IN AN ARM OF THE SEA OF CHINA. THE AREA AROUND THE DOWNED PILOT WAS MINED WITH ROWS OF MOORED ANTI-SHIP MINES WHICH COULD BE SEEN FROM OVERHEAD. OPTED TO ACCEPT THE RISK AND LAND BETWEEN ROWS OF THESE MINES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TAKEN UNDER EXTREMELY HEAVY FIRE BY JAPANESE TROOPS DURING THE RESCUE. HIS CREW SUCCESSFULLY RESCUED THE DOWNED PILOT AND RETURNED TO BASE. UPON LANDING, HIS AIRCRAFT STARTED SINKING AND HE BEACHED IT UNDER FULL POWER. SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED OVER 1000 HOLES FROM ENEMY FIRE. AMAZINGLY ENOUGH, NOBODY ABOARD THE AIRCRAFT WAS INJURED. SQUADRON, COMMANDING OFFICER RECOMMENDED THAT HE BE AWARDED THE NAVY CROSS AND THIS WAS SUBSEQUENTLY DOWNGRADED TO A DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS.