LT, US NAVY

VIETNAM

US Navy Lieutenant George Lee Morningstar, Vietnam Veteran, Born in Burlington, NC, he became a resident of Virginia.

US Navy Lieutenant George Lee Morningstar was a casualty of the Vietnam War. As a member of the Navy Reserve, LT Morningstar served our country until March 16th, 1970 in Quang Nam, South Vietnam. He was 27 years old and was married. It was reported that George died when his plane crashed upon landing at Da Nang. His body was recovered. LT Morningstar is on panel 12W, line 007 of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington D.C. He served our country for 3 years.

Morningstar, George Lee, Lieutenant, US Navy, died March 16, 1970, when a Navy four-engine electronic spy plane crashed at Na Dang Air Base in Vietnam. A native of Virgilina, Va., the 27-year-old Lieutenant was a 1961 graduate of Elon College High School and a graduate of Wake Forest University. He entered the Navy in July 1966. He is survived by his mother, Mrs. Eunice Morningstar of Burlington; his wife, Ms. Nell Morningstar; one stepson, Brad Morningstar; one sister, Mrs. Phyllis Moore; one brother, Dewey Morningstar; and an aunt, Miss Willie Bowen with whom he made his home. Source: Times-News April 4, 1970.

Twenty-two persons died and 11 were injured when a four-engine U.S. Navy propeller-driven EC-121 Super Constellation crashed and burned as it came in for a landing at Da Nang airport just before noon, the U.S. Command announced. The plane destroyed an F4 Phantom jet fighter-bomber parked near the runway as it hit a steel-covered aircraft revetment, bounced, and landed near a road near the runway, Stars and Stripes reporter Spec4 Bob Hodierne reported witnesses in Da Nang as saying. The plane carried 31 persons, including the crew, all of them U.S. Navy personnel, the Command said. It said two U.S. Air Force men were injured on the ground. The U.S. naval Support Activity at Da Nang Monday night listed eight patients as a result of the crash. Five were listed by the hospital as in good condition, two in fair and one in very serious condition. Witnesses described the crash this way:

The plane was approaching the field for a landing when it suddenly veered to the right as if to take off again and smashed into the revetment. The fuselage landed just short of a road that runs in front of the headquarters of the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing. This section of the plane, where most of the bodies were found during the seven-hour recovery operation, burned fiercely. The tail section and one center wing section landed in the road. The tail section was the only part that did not burn.

I served with George in VQ-1 prior to his death and we were friends. I believe George was the pilot making the landing at Da Nang that led to the crash. As I understand it, one engine was out and he was trying to waive off the landing to make another pass with better alignment. Unfortunately, a wing caught a US Air Force revetment and the crash occurred. Eight people survived the crash, but nobody in the cockpit survived. It was a sad time for members and families of VQ-1. Brian Nickerson, 50 Midland Street, Worcester, MA 01602.

He served on the EC-121, VQ-1, 7th Air Force, DaNang Airbase, RVN.

He was awarded The Purple Heart Medal for his combat related wounds, The Vietnam Service Medal, The Republic of Vietnam Campaign Service Medal, The National Defense Service Medal, The Air Medal with Multiple Oak Leaf Clusters and Two Gold Stars.