Assigned to 345BS, 98BG, 9AF USAAF. Lt. LeRoy Byron Morgan was born on 12-Sep-17, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to LeRoy Ewell Morgan and Edith Sophie Sichler. He attended Colton High School. After graduation Morgan was accepted as an Army Air Force flying cadet, and, after receiving his pilot's wings and advanced training, he was assigned to the USAAF's 345th Bomb Squadron, the 98th Bomb Group, of the 9th Air Force in WWII . He flew the B-24D, 41-11766, Chug-A-Lug, on the famous Ploesti oil refinery raid. He survived the Ploesti mission, although one of his crewmen, his flight engineer and top turret gunner, TSgt. James Van Ness, was badly wounded and later died, KIA on the mission. Capt. Morgan met Anna Marie Cumbie at Lowry Field, Colorado, who was employed there as an Army flight instructor. After his eight month deployment to the MTO, Capt. Morgan returned, and the two were married at Lowry Field, Colorado, March 11, 1945. For the last 50 years, the couple resided in Yucaipa, California. LeRoy Morgan died in Jackson, Tennessee, 27-Feb-05. He was 88 years old.



Awards - Captain Morgan was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action for the low-level Ploesti raid on 1 Aug 1943, the Distinguished Flying Cross for flights prior to the raid and the Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters for meritorious flights prior to the low-level raid. The 98th Bomb Group received the Presidential Unit Citation for extraordinary heroism over Ploesti on 1 Aug 1943, which was shared with the 343rd, 344th, 345th and 415th Bombardment Squadrons. He also received the WWII Victory Medal, American Campaign Medal and the European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three battle stars.