Melvin Morris
Melvin was born on the 7th of January 1942, in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, and he grew up hunting and fishing in the small community just east of Oklahoma City with his three brothers and four sisters. He had an uncle that served in the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion during World War 2 and two of his older brothers joined the military due to lack of jobs. In 1959, Melvin followed in his relatives’ shoes and enlisted in the Oklahoma Army National Guard and within a year, he requested to transfer to active duty. After artillery and airborne training, Melvin went to the newly formed Special Forces training in 1961 and received his green beret in September of 1963.
Melvin was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division and deployed to the Dominican Republic for a year and a half during the US intervention of their civil war. After this deployment, he returned to the States as part of the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne). He met his wife Mary while stationed at Fort Bragg and he volunteered to deploy to the Republic of Vietnam in February of 1969. By September, Melvin was a Staff Sergeant and his actions on the 17th of September 1969, later earned him the Distinguished Service Cross and later upgraded to the Medal of Honor. The citation reads:
Staff Sergeant Melvin Morris distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as Commander of a Strike Force drawn from Company D, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, during combat operations against an armed enemy in the vicinity of Chi Lang, Republic of Vietnam on September 17, 1969. On that afternoon, Staff Sergeant Morris’ affiliated companies encountered an extensive enemy mine field and were subsequently engaged by a hostile force. Staff Sergeant Morris learned by radio that a fellow team commander had been killed near an enemy bunker and he immediately reorganized his men into an effective assault posture before advancing forward and splitting off with two men to recover the team commander’s body. Observing the maneuver, the hostile force concentrated its fire on Staff Sergeant Morris’ three-man element and successfully wounded both men accompanying him. After assisting the two wounded men back to his forces’ lines, Staff Sergeant Morris charged forward into withering enemy fire with only his men’s suppressive fire as cover. While enemy machine gun emplacements continuously directed strafing fusillades against him, Staff Sergeant Morris destroyed the positions with hand grenades and continued his assault, ultimately eliminating four bunkers. Upon reaching the bunker nearest the fallen team commander, Staff Sergeant Morris repulsed the enemy, retrieved his comrade and began the arduous trek back to friendly lines. He was wounded three times as he struggled forward, but ultimately succeeded in returning his fallen comrade to a friendly position. Staff Sergeant Morris’ extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
Melvin was evacuated to Japan for treatment and was then flown home to Fort Bragg where he spent about three months in the hospital. In April of 1970, just a few weeks after receiving the DSC, Melvin volunteered to return to Vietnam, a tour which lasted thirteen months. He left the Army in 1975 but re-enlisted in 1978 due to the struggle with adapting to civilian life, an issue that would follow him even after his retirement in 1985 after 23 years of service. This struggle, and that of many others with post-traumatic stress, was remedied with professional help and the help of his family and veteran community.
Melvin got a call one day in May of 2013, one that involved President Obama telling him that his DSC was being upgraded to the Medal of Honor. A Congressional review of service records of those who might have been passed over for the award due to discrimination had selected several men, including Melvin. After staying quiet for ten months, Melvin traveled to the White House and received the Medal of Honor from President Obama on the 18th of March 2014.
Melvin currently travels and speaks with the military community and school students, passing on as much of his knowledge as possible to a younger generation. Melvin Morris is 81 years old at the time of this recording and he resides in Florida.
