Donald S Morrison

Donald Schoenwether Morrison
2LT, USAAF, Enlisted ASN: 39023253, Officer ASN: 0-691403

Graduated from high school and enlisted in the South Dakota National Guard in January 1937.  In 1938, enrolled at South Dakota State College; ROTC Aviation Cadet in Company D.  After 3 years of college, employed by Lockheed Aircraft in Burbank, California.

Enlisted again to U.S. Army Infantry on 14 March 1942 at Fort MacArthur near San Pedro, California.  Completed Basic Training from March - November 1942 at Camp Roberts, California.

Selected for the USAAF Aviation Cadet Program, he completed Primary flight training at Bruce Field near Ballinger, Texas.  Graduated from Basic Pilot training at Goodfellow Field in Texas, and earned his "wings" in August 1943.

Transitioned to heavy bomber aircraft at Alamogordo Army Air Field in New Mexico.  In October 1943, transferred to Charleston Army Air Base, South Carolina.

Deployed to the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations from Morrison Field near West Palm Beach, Florida and flew the southern route to North Africa.   After additional training in Tunisia, moved to the Foggia Airfield Complex in Italy.

Assigned to 15th Air Force, 454th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 736th Bombardment Squadron stationed at San Giovanni Airfield near Cerignola in the Province of Foggia, Italy.

On 19 March 1944, he flew in the right seat as a pilot aboard a B-24H Liberator bomber, serial #42-52272, on a mission to bombard the aircraft factory at Steyr, Austria.

Last sighted at a geographic location of: 46°44' North 15°13' East.

Killed in Action when his aircraft crashed near Cerkvenjak, Yugoslavia due to attacks by German Messerschmidt fighter aircraft.