MICHAEL D. L. MORGAN, CAPT, USMC

Michael Morgan '67

Date of birth: December 7, 1943

Date of death: November 2, 1973

Age: 29

Lucky Bag

From the 1967 Lucky Bag:

MICHAEL DURYEA LEACH MORGAN

New York

Mike came to the Academy via the Marine Corps and brought with him all their "esprit de corps." His talent in art gained him a permanent involvement with the art and printing club. After he became Vice-President of the club Second Class year, posters began to have curious initials and names woven into their design. Mike was also deeply involved in the religious activities of the Academy. In addition, he was active in the Officers' Christian Union, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and the Naval Academy Christian Association. He was President of the last group and had a continual interest in its effectiveness. Although many things could be said about Mike's virtues, the thing that he will probably be remembered most for is his infectious happiness.

MICHAEL DURYEA LEACH MORGAN

New York

Mike came to the Academy via the Marine Corps and brought with him all their "esprit de corps." His talent in art gained him a permanent involvement with the art and printing club. After he became Vice-President of the club Second Class year, posters began to have curious initials and names woven into their design. Mike was also deeply involved in the religious activities of the Academy. In addition, he was active in the Officers' Christian Union, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and the Naval Academy Christian Association. He was President of the last group and had a continual interest in its effectiveness. Although many things could be said about Mike's virtues, the thing that he will probably be remembered most for is his infectious happiness.

Loss

Mike was killed when the ejection seat in a F-4J Phantom II inadvertently fired while he was exiting the aircraft at MCAS El Toro, CA on November 2, 1973.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz: "His father was Raymond J., and his brother was David. David graduated in 1976 from Woodward High School in Toledo."

He is buried in California.

Memorial

From The Capital Gazette on November 11, 2017:

Capt. Michael D.L. Morgan graduated from the Naval Academy 50 years ago in 1967.
He died in El Toro, California, in 1973 when the ejection seat of a F-4J Phantom II inadvertently fired as he was exiting the aircraft. He left behind his wife, Carol, and three daughters, a 7-month-old, a 3-year-old and a 5-year-old.
Last year, his wife stood on the field at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium during a home football game with other families of fallen Naval Academy graduates, as part of the Naval Academy Alumni Association and Foundation’s Honor Our Fallen Heroes weekend.
The crowd stood and cheered for her, and for other families whose academy graduates died while on active duty.
Now Carol Morgan Bishop, she was overwhelmed.
“It was like something I had been waiting for for years since he died. And it finally was happening. Somebody was recognizing that we had suffered a great loss,” she said.
…