Roy Claude Morrow

Roy Claude Morrow, Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Navy, Retired, and retired as a Field Deputy for the Department of Industrial Relations, State of Alabama. A resident of Montgomery, AL, he passed away on Thursday, November 06, 2014 at the age of 91.

A native Alabamian, Commander Morrow served during World War II, Korea Era and Vietnam. After completing recruiting training at the Naval Training Center in San Diego, CA in 1943 he attended Radar School at Point Loma in San Diego, and was then assigned to the USS Kitty Hawk (AKY-1), where he served on forward for 25 months. His next assignment was in 1945 with Bomber – Fighter Squadron 98 based in Los Alamitos, CA. After being discharged in April or 1967, he then entered the University of Alabama, and while there, enrolled in the Naval Reserve Program. During this time Commander Morrow was assigned to the USS Palau (CVE-122) for an extended cruise to Turkey. While in Istanbul, the PALAU received orders to proceed immediately to Haifa, Palestine, and due to heavy street fighting, embark Count Folke Bernadotte, the UN Mediator to Palestine and his staff and transport them to Rhodes, Greece. In March 1949, he was assigned to the Naval Reserve Training Center in Birmingham, AL, and after a short tour at Headquarters Sixth Naval District in Charleston, SC, he was assigned to the commissioning detail of the USS Steinaker (DOR-863) in Norfolk, VA, and remained on board for one year. From the Steinaker, he was assigned to the Naval Amphibious Training Unit at Little Creek, VA, and after this, was assigned to the USS Cadmus (Ar14) based in Norfolk, VA. All duty assignments to this point were served in Enlisted Pay Grades E1 though E7. While on board the USS CADMUS, he received his commission as Ensign. After completion of an indoctrination course at Naval Station Newport, RI, Commander Morrow was assigned to the USS Forrestal (CVA-59) as Administrative Officer. Twenty Five Months later he was assigned to the staff of the Supreme Allied Command Atlantic (SACLANT) at NATO Command based in Norfolk, VA. From there he served as administrative aide to the Director of Naval Intelligence in the Pentagon. Commander Morrow’s last assignment was on the staff at Headquarters Military Assistance Vietnam in Saigon. This time being during the TET offensive in February 1968, when Saigon was invaded by the Viet Cong.

Survivors include his daughter, Wilma Ann Morrow; brother and sister-in-law, Lewis and Dot Morrow, of Lineville, AL.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at Alabama Heritage Funeral Home 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 8, 2014. Burial will follow in Alabama Heritage Cemetery. Visitation will be held at Alabama Heritage Funeral Home one hour prior to the service.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the charity of your choice.