Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1953 Lucky Bag:

EDWARD ALFRED MORSE

Easy Ed arrived at Navy fresh from a year at Rhode Island University, but never let anyone forget that God’s little square mile was still home to him. … A great skiing enthusiast until the Maryland flats converted him to a rabid yawl sailor. His talents with a camera seemed to be surpassed only by his ability in handling an address book that was forever growing. The post office seemed to thrive on his incoming mail. He found plebe year effortless and afterwards coasted on to graduation. A Navy Junior, Ed hopes to don a pair of Navy wings. With his sincerity, good humor, and initiative, he’ll become one of Uncle Sam’s finest.

Loss

Ed was lost on January 7, 1964 when the aircraft he was piloting crashed on approach to the mock aircraft carrier at NAAS El Centro, California. He was a member of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 11.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

In 1935 Edward’s family lived in San Diego. In 1940 they lived in Providence, Rhode Island.

His father Edward was a chief machinist mate who was killed on USS Sims at the Battle of the Coral Sea on May 7, 1942.

In the June 2000 issue of Shipmate he was reported as having earned his wings in December 1954 prior to service in VS-30 in Norfolk flying S-2s until 1958. He was an instructor pilot in Florida, then went “to D.C. for a Naval Air Intel tour from ‘60-‘61, then CarDiv at Alameda.” He had been a part of his final squadron since 1963.

He was survived by his wife, Ann; two sons, Ted and Richard; and two daughters, Beth and Diane. Ann was pregnant with their 5th child, Jeffrey, at the time of his death. His mother was Gertrude, and his sisters were Barbara and Patricia.

His son Edward A. (Ted) Morse, ‘81, also was a Naval Aviator.

Edward is buried in California.

Photographs

From the Chula Vista Star News on January 9, 1964