Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1951 Lucky Bag:

Morris Fredric Reisinger

From the Marine Corps, “Lucky” brought all of the best parts of his outfit with him . . . coming by his nickname honestly, he is the only man who can constantly beat “Robber’s Row” via the slot machine . . . and ardent radio fan . . . the wandering Marine has found a home and is now a veritable crab . . . not one to worry over academics . . . feels this would be a better place to live if all were P.T. and no book work . . . though not Irish, the love of a green uniform (not Kelly) will make him one of the better Semper Fidelis boys who are good in anybody’s league . . . Bon Voyage . . . “Gaylord Middie.”

Loss

“Lucky” was lost in combat with the North Koreans on the morning of February 21, 1952. “Lucky sent a squad out to occupy an outpost that his platoon manned during daylight hours. As his men approached the outpost, they were ambushed by North Koreans who were in hiding. Lucky heard the firing from the outpost and called to his men nearby and raced out to where the squad was pinned down. When they reached the squad, the North Koreans had withdrawn. After their withdrawal they lay down heavy mortar fire on the outpost and Lt. Reisinger was hit. He died instantly.”

He was a member of Company F, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division.

The location of the firefight was near Songojik, North Korea.

Other Information

From the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin on February 28, 1952:

Lt. Morris F. Reisinger of the U.S. Marine Corps has been killed in action, his wife in College Place learned Wednesday.

The 23-year-old U.S. Naval Academy graduate died Feb. 21 in the Korean area, his family was notified by telegram.

A graduate of Walla Walla High School, Lt. Reisinger joined the Marine Corps in 1946 and received boot training at San Diego, where he qualified for electrical engineering school at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center.

While at Great Lakes he took the competitive examination for the Naval Academy’s prep school at Bainbridge, Md., and went on to the academy at Annapolis, graduating in June of last year and receiving his commission with the Marines.

Lt. Reisinger, known as “Lucky” to all his friends, was third highest in his class of 347 when he completed platoon leaders’ school at Quantico, Va., Dec. 15, 1951. He married the former Alice Buerstatte in the Naval Academy Chapel on graduation day.

Besides his wife he is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Winifred Reisinger of Shoshone, Ida., and his grandfather, Fred Reisinger of Rockwood, Ill.

He was born August 2, 1928, at Granite City, Ill.

Morris is buried in Washington.

Photographs

From his 1946 high school yearbook

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Jerome Stuart ‘51, Earl Valentine, Jr. ‘51, James Laramore ‘51, and William Phillips ‘51 were also graduates of the “9th Special Basic Class” who trained at Quantico from July to December 1951.