Military Wiki
Charles H. McMorris
Nickname Soc
Born (1890-08-31)31 August 1890
Died 20 February 1954(1954-02-20) (aged 63)
Place of birth Wetumpka, Alabama
Place of death Valparaiso, Chile
Allegiance United States
Service/branch United States Navy
Years of service 1912–1952
Rank US-O9 insignia Vice Admiral
Commands held Fourth Fleet
Fourteenth Naval District
Battles/wars

Occupation of Veracruz
World War I

World War II

Awards Navy Cross with Gold Star

Charles "Soc" Horatio McMorris (August 31, 1890 – February 11, 1954) was an American rear admiral during World War II, most notably commanding forces at the Battle of the Komandorski Islands and Aleutian Islands.

Biography[]

Born in Wetumpka, Alabama, McMorris attended public schools in Wetumpka for several years before entering the United States Naval Academy on June 26, 1908. After graduating fifth in his class on June 8, 1912, McMorris served as an ensign aboard several battleships including the Delaware (BB-28), Montana (ACR-13), and New Hampshire (BB-25), later taking part in the occupation of Veracruz in 1914 as part of the United States' intervention into Mexico. He also served aboard the battleship Maryland (ACR-8) which salvaged the submarine F-4 following its sinking off the coast of Honolulu, Hawaii in 1915.

World War I[]

A junior officer during World War I, McMorris saw combat in the Atlantic aboard the destroyers Shaw (DD-68) and Meredith (DD-165) before his promotion to Lieutenant in 1918. During the inter-war years, McMorris was stationed in various sea and shore posts before his graduation from the Naval War College in 1938, serving as operations officer to the Hawaiian-based US fleet from 1939 until 1941.

World War II[]

Appointed war plans officer to the Pacific Fleet following the attack on Pearl Harbor, he remained in this post until April 1942 when he was assigned command of Cruiser Task Force 8 led by the cruiser San Francisco (CA-38). After engaging the Imperial Japanese Navy several times in the Aleutian Islands campaign, specifically at the Battle of the Komandorski Islands and Battle of the Aleutian Islands (as well as winning distinction for bravery and the award of the Navy Cross during the Battle of Cape Esperance on October 11–12, 1943[1]), McMorris was named Chief of Staff of the Pacific Fleet in June 1943, as well as a personal advisor to Admiral Chester Nimitz (during which he would later be awarded the Gold Star), a post in which he would remain until the end of the war.

Post-war[]

Briefly serving as Vice Admiral from September 23, 1944, until July 1948, McMorris would serve as commander of the 4th Fleet and President of the General Board before assuming command of Pearl Harbor's Fourteenth Naval District on August 25, 1948. McMorris would eventually command the Pearl Harbor naval base before retiring to Marietta, Pennsylvania, where he lived until his death in 1954.

Namesake[]

The destroyer escort USS McMorris (DE-1036) would later be named after him.

Decorations[]

Gold star
Navy Cross ribbon
Navy Distinguished Service ribbon Legion of Merit ribbon
Bronze star
US Navy Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon
Mexican Service Medal ribbon
Gold star
World War I Victory Medal ribbon
Nicaraguan Campaign ribbon 1933 American Defense Service ribbon
American Campaign Medal ribbon
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign ribbon
World War II Victory Medal ribbon National Defense Service Medal ribbon
1st Row Navy Cross w/ Gold Star Navy Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit Navy and Marine Presidential Unit Citation w/ Service star
2nd Row Mexican Service Medal World War I Victory Medal w/ battle clasp Nicaraguan Campaign Medal American Defense Service Medal
3rd Row American Campaign Medal Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal w/ three service stars World War II Victory Medal National Defense Service Medal

References[]

  • Parrish, Thomas and S. L. A. Marshall, ed. The Simon and Schuster Encyclopedia of World War II, New York: Simon and Schuster, 1978.

External links[]

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The original article can be found at Charles McMorris and the edit history here.