In Florida 1944, with World War II in progress, Morris turned eighteen the summer before his senior year of high school.  Morris’s older brother had joined the Merchant Marines a few months earlier and Morris, concerned about being drafted into the army, did not want to be a foot solder so he decided to join the navy but that would mean he wouldn’t finish the 12th grade.    After talking about it with his mother and father, they said he could, knowing that he probably would anyway if they said no.   Morris knew the war was serious business, but it was a great adventure for him, having never ventured more than thirty miles from home. 

 After signing up, he took a train from Williston to Jacksonville then on to bootcamp at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center in Illinois where he trained for twelve weeks. After bootcamp Morris went to Camp Braford in Virginia Beach for amphibious landing vehicle training on the Chesapeake Bay in December.  Coming from Florida, Morris had never been so cold before. Morris spent his first Christmas away from home and he sure did miss his family. 

US Navy Recruit Training Photo

Updated: 12-05-2021

1945