American Bios Project

American Legion Cemetery · Tampa, Florida

Biography No. 4

Sergeant Frank S. Morris

The son of an Indiana dairy farmer, he moved to Miami-Dade County during the Great Depression and worked for Flamingo Truck Lines before enlisting.

No portrait located
No photograph has been located for this veteran.
Rank
Sergeant
Branch
U.S. Army Air Forces
Unit
Not recorded
Conflict
World War II
Born
27 October 1905 · Shelbyville, Indiana
Died
2 September 1959
Gravesite
Row C · Plot 17

Sergeant Frank S Morris was born on October 27th, 1905, in the town of Shelbyville, Indiana. Like a typical midwestern family, Sergeant Morris’ father was a dairy farmer while his mother was a homemaker. Unfortunately, when Sergeant Morris was just 12 years old, his father passed, leaving Sergeant Morris to live with his mother Sarah Morris, 5 siblings, and a brother-in-law. At the age of 24, Sergeant Morris had not attended school, but had learned to read and write, presumably from his mother.

At this time, Sergeant Morris worked as an assistant cashier at an insurance company. Just a little while later, Sergeant Morris made the move to Miami, Florida. It was here he would begin working at Flamingo Truck Lines Incorporated, a trucking company that ran transportation lines throughout the state of Florida. In 1940, Sergeant Morris registered for the draft, but would not enlist into the Army until June 16th, 1943 when he arrived at Camp Blanding.

Sergeant Morris spent his time in the service in the Northern Air Service Command. It is likely that he himself was stationed in the Philippines, near Manila. The Air Service Command was a command within the US army that was responsible for handling logistics and transport operations. Sergeant Morris played a crucial part by ensuring that these operations ran smoothly in the pacific theater.

Perhaps he even used his logistical skills that he gained from Flamingo Truck Lines Inc in his role. Sergeant Morris was discharged on September 28th, 1945, just 26 days after the war in the Pacific had ended. After the war, Sergeant Morris would move back to Florida, this time to Hillsborough county. In 1950, Sergeant Morris was admitted to the Southwest Florida Tuberculosis Sanitarium, now the W.T Edwards Tuberculosis Hospital, where he was treated for tuberculosis.

Despite never marrying, Sergeant Morris certainly found a family as a member of our very own Post 5. He passed away on September 2nd, 1959 and Post 5 has the honor to have Sergeant Frank S. Morris interred here.