World War II Honoree

Richard McDavid Morgan

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Mayo, Florida

Honored By

Carolyn Thomas Walker

Relationship

Niece

STATIONED IN THE PHILIPPINES WHEN THE JAPANESE STRUCK. CAPTURED ON BATAAN IN APRIL OF 1942. SPENT THE DURATION OF THE WAR AS A POW OF THE JAPANESE, ONLY BEING RELEASED AFTER THE BOMBINGS OF HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI, WHICH HE WAS ABLE TO SEE (THE MUSHROOM CLOUD) AND FEEL THE TREMORS FROM THE SHOCK WAVE. HE SURVIVED THE DEATH MARCH, CABANATUAN, THE HELL SHIPS, STARVATION, TORTURE AND DEPRIVATION. WHEN HE RETURNED HOME ON OCTOBER 31, 1945, HE WEIGHED 87 POUNDS, BUT HE WAS ALIVE.