On May 4th, 2014, America lost a Vietnam War Hero, Michael L. (Mike) Morgan, born November 17, 1947.
Mike, a native of Rome, Georgia, spent much of his formative years in Alabama in Calhoun and Cherokee counties. Mike graduated from Cherokee County High School in 1966 and entered the Army in July of 1967.
Most people that knew Mike, never heard him say the word Vietnam much less, let you know that he was a highly decorated combat soldier. Mike was awarded the Army Commendation Award for Heroism in Plaiku, Vietnam. For not one, but two acts of heroism. For the first, Mike used his body as a shield against a hand grenade landing a few feet from he and his fellow soldiers, fortunately it did not explode, and the second unloading ammunition from a helicopter under intense enemy fire, ammunition for which he and his fellow soldiers were desperate, they were completely out of ammunition.
After his Army career, Mike served in the Georgia National Guard and was called for active duty during Dessert Storm. In 1998, Mike retired from General Motors with (30) years of service.
In November of 1993, Mike married Karen Holbrook of Defiance, Ohio, and settled in Lawrence County where they have lived for the last 17 years. Mike retired and Karen continued to work, serving as the office manager for a local Decatur firm.
Mike is preceded in death by his parents, Willie O. Morgan and Reba L. Minshew Morgan.
He is survived by his wife, Karen; daughter, Wendy (Chris) Moon, Ocalla, FL, grandson, Austin; brother, Jerry (Linda) Morgan, Oxford; sisters, Jean Spoon, Piedmont, Deborah (Gary) Johnson, Locust Grove, VA, and Sheila (Hank) Richardson, Centre, AL.
Services will be provided by Perry Funeral Home, Centre, today, May 7th, 2014, visitation from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The funeral service will be immediately after visitation under the direction of Minister Josh Prater. Burial will follow the funeral in Cherokee Memorial Gardens, Centre. Pallbearers serving are John Richardson, Daniel Richardson, Nathan Johnson, Kevin Spoon, Cordell Hayes and Zach Hayes.
Mike will be missed by those who knew him well and by many who knew him only as Mike, gentle, humble, helpful and unknown to everyone as a true American Hero.
Perry Funeral Home
