World War II Honoree

Wayne Morris

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Los Angeles, California

Honored By

Joe Arsena

JOINED THE NAVY RESERVES AND RECEIVING A COMMISSION. FOLLOWING FLIGHT TRAINING AND SERVICE FOR ONE YEAR AS AN INSTRUCTOR, HE WAS THRUST INTO THE AIR WAR IN THE PACIFIC. HE FLEW HIS FIRST MISSIONS IN AN F-6F OFF THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS ESSEX. HE WOULD FLY 57 COMBAT MISSIONS, SHOOT DOWN SEVEN JAPANESE AIRCRAFT AND PARTICIPATE IN THE SINKING OF FIVE JAPANESE WARSHIPS. HE BECAME ONE OF THE EARLY ACES OF THE WAR. THREE OF THE MISSIONS HE FLEW SAW HIM RETURN TO THE USS ESSEX WITH HIS AIRCRAFT SO FULL OF HOLES THAT THEY HAD TO BE DECLARED UNFIT AND DUMPED OVERBOARD. FOR HIS VALOR AND COURAGE WHILE FLYING COMBAT MISSIONS AGAINST THE ENEMY, HE WAS AWARDED FOUR DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSSES AND TWO AIR MEDALS. HE EVENTUALLY LEFT THE NAVY WITH THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT COMMANDER.