Robert K. Morgan
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Robert K. Morgan | |
|---|---|
Colonel (US) | |
| Unit | 91st Bombardment Group ("The Ragged Irregulars") |
| Commands held | Memphis Belle Dauntless Dotty |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards |  Distinguished Flying Cross (3) Air Medal (11) |
Robert Knight Morgan (July 31, 1918 – May 15, 2004) was a
B-29 Superfortress
against Japan in the Pacific Theater.
Biography
Morgan graduated from
B-17 Flying Fortress
pilot. Morgan went overseas as part of the original group of combat crews and flew 25 combat missions over Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and France, between November 7, 1942, and May 17, 1943.
Memphis Belle
The Memphis Belle was the second heavy bomber in the
war bonds.[1] In those missions, all of which were daylight raids, the Memphis Belle flew 148 hours, dropped more than 60 tons of bombs and had every major part of the plane replaced at least once. Morgan and his crew were the subjects of a 1944 film documentary, Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress
.
Career
Promoted to
B-29 Superfortress Dauntless Dotty from Isley Field, Saipan
. The aircraft was nicknamed after his third wife, Dorothy Johnson Morgan. On November 24, 1944, he was pilot of the lead plane during the first mission of the XXI Bomber Command to bomb Japan. This mission was commanded by Brigadier General Emmett O'Donnell Jr.
Leaving active duty after World War II, he continued to fly in the
Air Force Reserve with the rank of colonel
in 1965. In the later 1960's, Morgan operated a car dealership in Martinsville, Virginia called Morgan Volkswagen. He later returned to his hometown of Asheville to retire.
In 2001 Morgan published his
ISBN 0-525-94610-1
.
Death
Morgan was hospitalized April 22, 2004, with a fractured vertebra in his neck after falling outside the
Mission Hospital on May 15, 2004, from complications due to his injuries, including pneumonia. Morgan was buried at the Western Carolina Veterans Cemetery in Swannanoa, North Carolina
.
Awards and decorations
Command Pilot Badge
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| Distinguished Flying Cross 3d Award | ||
| Air Medal 11th Award | Air Force Presidential Unit Citation | American Defense Service Medal |
| American Campaign Medal | Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal 3 campaigns
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European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal 5 campaigns
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| World War II Victory Medal | Air Force Longevity Service Award 4th Award
|
Armed Forces Reserve Medal 10 years |
References
- ^ The "Hell's Angels" B-17 (41-24577) of the 303rd Bomb Group completed 25 combat missions on May 13, 1943, becoming the first B-17 to complete the feat, one week before the Memphis Belle. "B-17 Flying Fortress". United States Air Force. Archived from the original on 2012-07-19. Retrieved 2008-05-30.
External links
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| National | |
| Other | |
