Crestview WWII, Navy veteran celebrates 100th birthday. Look back on his service

Northwest Florida Daily News/USA TODAY NETWORK
·2 min read
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PENSACOLA – World War II veteran Ralph Morris of Crestview celebrated his 100th birthday with friends, family, and caregivers at the Joint Ambulatory Care Center in Pensacola on Monday.

Morris, who enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1942, was recognized during the brief celebration by Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System (GCVHCS) Director Bryan C. Matthews.

Navy veteran Ralph Morris shows off the new service medals he received as a present on his 100th birthday Monday. Morris, his family, friends and caregivers threw the centenarian a birthday bash at the Veterans Administration's Joint Ambulatory Care Center in Pensacola.
Navy veteran Ralph Morris shows off the new service medals he received as a present on his 100th birthday Monday. Morris, his family, friends and caregivers threw the centenarian a birthday bash at the Veterans Administration's Joint Ambulatory Care Center in Pensacola.

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"Our veterans are the reason we exist, and to celebrate the 100th birthday of an individual who was involved in one of the world's greatest conflicts is an honor,"      Matthews said. "(Ralph) Morris' dedication to his duty serves as an example of what we — as an organization serving those who have served — embody, and I couldn't be more proud to participate in this veteran's milestone birthday."

Morris, born June 13, 1922, in Jefferson, Iowa, enlisted in the Navy in 1942, and eventually served aboard USS Sigsbee (DD-502) and later aboard USS Alfred A. Cunningham (DD-752). Morris served as a Machinist's Mate (MM) during his enlistment, working in both vessels' power plants.

Ann Van Zandt gives her father Ralph Morris a few birthday gifts Monday as the Navy veteran celebrated his 100th birthday at the Joint Ambulatory Care Center in Pensacola.
Ann Van Zandt gives her father Ralph Morris a few birthday gifts Monday as the Navy veteran celebrated his 100th birthday at the Joint Ambulatory Care Center in Pensacola.

Morris ended his service and opened a home furnishings store in Jefferson, Iowa, was married and has two daughters. He moved to South Florida in 1959 and worked as a salesman. He later moved to Tallahassee, and in 2019 moved again to Crestview to live with his daughter.

More than 16 million U.S. citizens served in World War II and less than 250,000 are alive today, according to the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs (VA).

The GCVHCS is comprised of the Biloxi Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center and the Mobile, Pensacola, Eglin and Panama City community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs). Headquartered in Biloxi, Mississippi, the GCVHCS provides a variety of medical outpatient services to more than 82,000 Veterans and other eligible beneficiaries along the Mississippi, Alabama and Florida Gulf Coast.

This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Crestview WWII veteran Ralph Morris celebrates 100th birthday