George Stephen Morrison

George Stephen Morrison (January 7, 1919 – November 17, 2008) was a United States Navy rear admiral (upper half) and naval aviator. Morrison held significant commands of United States naval forces during the Vietnam War. He was the father of Jim Morrison, the lead singer of the Doors.

Early life and education Born January 7, 1919, in Rome, Georgia, Morrison was the son of Caroline (née Hoover; 1891–1984) and Paul Raymund Morrison (1886–1971), and raised in Leesburg, Florida. The Morrison family descended from Scottish settlers who emigrated to America in the late 18th century. Morrison used to claim that his family was originally from the Outer Hebrides, and claimed direct descent from Robert the Bruce. The family had also Irish ancestry, with roots tracing back to County Cork.

Morrison entered the U.S. Naval Academy in 1938, graduated in 1941, and was commissioned an ensign. Sent to Hawaii, he joined the crew of the destroyer . On December 7, 1941, Morrison witnessed the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Career

Morrison began flight training in 1943 at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, and graduated in spring 1944, and went on to fly combat missions in the Grumman F6F Hellcat. He flew missions in the Pacific Theater for the duration of World War II.

In 1967, Morrison was promoted to rear admiral. As such, he was in charge of relief efforts for Vietnamese refugees sent to Guam, after the fall of Saigon in the spring of 1975.

Morrison was the keynote speaker at the decommissioning ceremony for the carrier Bon Homme Richard, on July 2, 1971, in Washington D.C. His estranged son, rock musician Jim Morrison, died in Paris at age 27, the following day.

Morrison retired from the Navy in August 1975, as a rear admiral (upper half). His other children were a son and a daughter.

In retirement, the Morrisons lived in Coronado and Chula Vista, California. Clara Clarke Morrison died after a long illness in Coronado on December 29, 2005. Morrison died in Coronado on November 17, 2008, at the age of 89. His private memorial service was held on November 24 at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego. His ashes were scattered at sea near the same spot off Point Loma where his wife's ashes had been scattered nearly three years earlier.

Awards and decorations Morrison was a recipient of the following military decorations and service medals: