World War II Honoree

Lewis Henry Morrison

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

West Chester, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Doris Morrison & Pamela McAlonan

Relationship

Sister & Niece

LEWIS, 'SPIKE' TO HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND 'ZEMO' TO HIS CREWMATES, ENTERED THE U.S. NAVY ON OCTOBER 8, 1942. HE RECEIVED BASIC TRAINING AT NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND, THEN ADVANCED TRAINING AT WILLOW GROVE NAVAL AIR STATION IN PENNSYLVANIA. SPIKE WAS THEN ASSIGNED TO THE USS PRINCETON CVL-23 IN PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA AS AN AVIATION MACHINIST'S MATE 3RD CLASS. THE USS PRINCETON AND SPIKE SERVED IN THE PACIFIC THEATER AS FLAGSHIP OF TASK FORCE 11 IN THE OCCUPATION OF BAKER ISLAND, THEN JOINED TASK FORCE 15 FOR STRIKES AGAINST THE ISLANDS OF BOUGAINVILLE AND RABAUL AND LANDINGS AT EMPRESS AUGUSTA BAY IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC. AFTER A REFIT AT BREMERTON, WASHINGTON, SPIKE WENT ON WITH THE USS PRINCETON TO SERVE AS PART OF THE MAIN PACIFIC FLEET STRIKE FORCE, TASK FORCE 38/58 (38 UNDER ADMIRAL HALSEY, 58 UNDER ADMIRAL SPRUANCE). SPIKE AND THE USS PRINCETON PARTICIPATED IN THE LANDINGS AT KWAJALEIN, MAJURO AND ENIWETOK IN THE MARSHALL ISLANDS. THE USS PRINCETON THEN SUPPORTED THE LANDINGS AT SAIPAN AND GUAM IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS. SPIKE AND THE USS PRINCETON WERE INVOLVED IN THE BATTLE OF THE PHILIPPINE SEA (ALSO KNOWN AS THE GREAT MARIANA ISLANDS TURKEY SHOOT) IN JUNE 1944, IN WHICH THE SHIP DESTROYED 33 ENEMY AIRCRAFT. THE USS PRINCETON LAUNCHED STRIKES AGAINST LUZON IN THE PHILIPPINES AS GENERAL MACARTHUR RETURNED TO LEYTE ISLAND. AT ABOUT 10:00 A.M. ON OCTOBER 24, 1944, ONE LONE JAPANESE BOMBER RELEASED ONE LARGE BOMB WHICH HIT THE USS PRINCETON, CRASHING THROUGH TWO DECKS BEFORE IT EXPLODED. SPIKE WAS LAST SEEN HELPING HIS CREWMATES CHANGE TIRES ON AN AIRCRAFT, 40 FEET FROM WHERE THE BOMB HIT. HE, AND 200 OF HIS CREWMATES, WENT DOWN WITH THE USS PRINCETON THAT DAY. HE WAS AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART POSTHUMOUSLY.