Flight Officer Morris E. Gant
February 22, 1923 – April 15, 1945
Class: 44-H-SE
Graduation Date: September 8, 1944
Graduation Rank: Flight Officer
Unit: 332nd Fighter Group, 99th Pursuit Squadron
Service # T-066141
Morris was born in 1923 in Chicago to Phillip Gant and Maggie Hickman. He was the middle child of three.[1] His father worked for an insurance company.
Morris attended Englewood High School where he received a special medal as a cadet enrolled in the ROTC program.[2] He was a member of the Tuskegee Airmen, commissioned as a Flight Officer in September of 1944,[3] and assigned to 99th Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group. He was stationed at Ramitelli, Italy.
On April 14, 1945, Morris was flying a P-51 nicknamed Sonny Boy, departing from Ramaitelli Air Base on a strafing mission to Munich/Salzburg/Linz/Pilzen. His plane went missing approximately 12 miles northeast from Pescara, Italy. Lt. Emile G. Clifton, Jr released a statement that Morris had called that he was low on fuel. He throttled back and fell out of formation as if he were leaving to look for a nearby field. He was told by flight commander to land at nearest field. Morris was not located at any field between Ramitelli and Termoli.
He was reported Missing in May of 1947 but was listed among the army dead a month later.
It is not clear where Morris is buried.
Sources:
Findagrave.com
HonorStates.org
TogetherWeStand.com
WikiTree.com
