Eugene Elvis Morley
Eugene Elvis Morley was born 28-Jul 1921 in Arkansas. He was the son of Claude W Morley (1893-1949) and Stella Agnes Rash (1904-1966). His family later lived near Granite City, Illinois. He had three brothers: William, Larry, and James and two sisters: Mildred and Marian. His mother, Stella, was a homemaker and his father, Claude Morley, a “puddler” at a coke furnace. Eugene Morley attended Madison High School. He worked 52 at a tavern in Madison. Eugene enlisted in the US Navy on 26-Sep 1940 from St Louis, Missouri and attended Great Lakes Naval Training Center for basic. His service number was 3373983.
Eugene Morley had the rank of Petty Officer Second Class. His military occupation or specialty was Fireman Second Class. Service number assignment was 3373983. By September 1941, he is shown mustered aboard the USS Arizona.
On 6-Dec 1941, the Arizona returned to its base at Pearl Harbor. The next morning, at approximately 7:55 AM, Japan launched a surprise attack on the naval base. For nearly two hours, more than 350 Japanese aircraft—which included torpedo planes, bombers, and fighters—dropped bombs on U.S. vessels. At approximately 8:10 AM, the Arizona was struck by a 1,760-pound (800-kg) projectile. The impact caused munitions and fuels to ignite, creating a massive explosion that reportedly lifted the battleship out of the water. As it sank, the ship was struck by more bombs. In addition, some claimed that the Arizona was also hit by torpedoes, though no evidence was found to support that assertion. While 334 crew members survived, the death toll on the Arizona was 1,177 and remain entombed on the ship today.
Navy Petty Officer Second Class, Fireman Second Class Eugene Morley was reported missing and ultimately declared dead on December 7, 1941. He is listed as nonrecoverable. He is listed on the Tablets of the Missing, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Eugene Morley was eligible for the following medals and commendations.
- Purple Heart
- Combat Action Ribbon
- World War II Victory Medal
- American Campaign Medal
- Navy Presidential Unit Citation
- Navy Good Conduct Medal
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
- Navy Expeditionary Medal
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KIA 7-Dec 1941-Eugene Elvis Morley
