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Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Corps, 326th
Bomber Squadron, 92d Bomber Group. Place and date: Over Europe, 28 July
1943. Entered service at: London, England. Birth: 24 August 1914, Vernon,
Tex. G.O. No.: 85, 17 December 1943. Citation: 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.
This data was extracted from the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, U.S. Senate, Medal of Honor Recipients: 1863-1973 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1973)
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