“Heroes are people who rise to the occasion and slip quietly away.”
Iconic News Anchor and Author, Tom Brokaw
On May 29th, Thomas J. Morris, a resident of Rocky Point, was a World War II combat veteran, who recently turned one hundred years old. As one of the hundred thousand current American survivors of this conflict, on June 8th, Morris visited the VFW Post 6249 Suffolk County World War II and Military History Museum. He met with Town of Brookhaven Councilwoman Jane Bonner, where she honored him with a proclamation for his support to this country.
A Nassau County kid who grew up in Sea Cliff, Morris grew up on the “Gold Coast.” As a kid, Morris went to a strict Catholic school, he loved playing outside, and he caddied at Piping Rock Golf Club in Locust Valley. He lived during the hardships of the Great Depression and stated how fortunate he was that his mother was a nurse for the wealthy families of these North Shore estates. Morris never worried about losing his home during these harsh times, as he credited his mom for supremely caring for him.
Directly after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, like millions of other Americans, Morris enlisted into the military. He went to a recruiting office in Hempstead and during his earliest time in the military, he was sent to Camp Upton, Yaphank. Morris wanted to become a pilot in the Army-Air Force but was later trained as an aircraft mechanic. Before being sent overseas, Morris was at bases in Florida, South Carolina, and eventually was ordered to the 319th Bomber Group, where he was instructed on an A-26 low-level attack bomber in Oregon.
In 1945, Morris flew missions from Okinawa to hit the Japanese mainland, as they still aggressively waged war against the United States. Amazingly, Morris had the coincidence of flying over Japan, while the Enola Gay dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6th, 1945. Eighty-one years later, Morris quickly recalled the “mushroom cloud” that he saw over this part of Japan. It was possible that this terrible weapon saved the life of Morris, as the United States faced immense casualties if they had to invade the main islands of Japan.
After the war, Morris was directed to Seoul, Korea, where he transported surrendered Japanese officers back to their nation. Before the Korean War, Morris flew on C-47s to support American troops with supplies who were stationed in Korea. After leaving the military, Morris was a maintenance worker for Eastern Airlines, where he enjoyed traveling to different parts of Europe, the USSR, South America and in the United States. Years later, Morris marveled at the poor conditions of the Soviet Union from the destruction of World War II. As a civilian, Morris was happy to have this job that earned a comfortable living, was married, had a son, and he financially supported his mom. A former member of the New York City Fire Department and an ex-captain and commissioner in the Rocky Point Fire Department, Steve Tumulty has become acquainted with Morris. He describes this resident as a “humble man who is an important reminder of military sacrifices to this country during the fighting of World War II in the Pacific and Asia. This fire department and members of Company 1 were extremely pleased to help celebrate his birthday.”
Today, this one-hundred-year-old is still independent, where he likes to clean his own home, cooks, paints artwork portraits, and watches television with the company of his little dog “Teddy.” The Bohlman family looks in on him and they love him like one of their own. May we always remember the sacrifices that this country endured some eighty-one years ago that were seen through the patriotic actions of citizens like Thomas J. Morris. Thank you to all our past, present, and future veterans who continue to protect America.