Thomas Edgar Morgan, Sr., was born in September 1920 in Bossier City, Louisiana with one sister. He grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana where his father was a service manager for Roby Engine Company. After completing high school in 1938, Morgan found work as a machinist in a local welding shop but left his work to enlist in the Marines shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor [Annotator's Note: the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on Sunday, 7 December 1941]. He recalled driving to work one morning and hearing that Pearl Harbor had been bombed. Thomas enlisted in January 1942 and completed boot camp at Camp Elliott, San Diego [Annotator's Note: San Diego, California] after which he was assigned to the 1st Marine Division (Reinforced).

Thomas Edgar Morgan, Sr. was assigned to the 1st Marine Division (Reinforced) and took part in the Battle of Midway. His Division returned to Camp Elliott [Annotator's Note: in San Diego, California] then continued training by conducting practice landings on America Samoa and Fiji. He then deployed to Guadalcanal [Annotator's Note: Solomon Islands]. His battalion was assigned to Gavutu Island [Annotator's Note: Gavutu Island, Solomon Islands] and was met by some resistance when they landed on the beach. Morgan's battalion threw explosives into pill boxes and bunkers the Japanese were hiding in; and they also found Japanese soldiers in the jungle. The Natives would come over to the Americans and tell them where the Japanese where because they were stealing their produce. Morgan's battalion was sent to Guadalcanal and participated in the liberation of the airport [Annotator's Note: Henderson Field]. In January 1943, Morgan contracted Malaria and was sent to a hospital when they reached New Zealand. He was then was put on a transfer list back to San Diego. After three months, Morgan was released and assigned to guard duty at the Fallbrook Naval Ammunition Depot [Annotator's Note: Fallbrook, California] and then the Ammunition Depot in Hastings, Nebraska. There was an explosion incident while he was on guard duty that almost killed him. After the doctor okayed him for active duty, Morgan was assigned to the 2nd Marine Division and deployed to Saipan [Annotator's Note: Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands]. He recalled waiting around until they would be shipped off again. He watched the news about Iwo Jima.

Thomas Edgar Morgan, Sr. was assigned to the 2nd Marine Division and sent to Okinawa [Annotator's Note: Okinawa, Japan]. On the morning of the invasion [Annotator's Note: 1 April 1945], his troop ship was hit by a Kamikaze off the coast of Okinawa. He was stuck in the ship and heard water coming in. He thought it was the end for him, but after about a half hour he was rescued. He was put on another ship and assisted the gunners to attack the kamikazes. Morgan's Division was sent back to Saipan [Annotator’s Note: Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands] where they began to prepare for Tokyo [Annotator's Note: preparing for the invasion of the Japanese home islands]. Before being deployed, the United States dropped the atomic bombs on Japan. At the end of the war, Morgan was transferred to the 6th Marine Division and deployed to China for the acceptance of the surrender of Japanese troops there. Morgan was put on sentry duty postwar. In 1946, he returned home. When they got into the harbor, they discovered a floating mine and some of the soldiers shot at it and blew it up. When Morgan returned home, he joined the Marine Corp Reserves. He returned to work and was eventually called back to active duty for the Korean War. During his processing for deployment, Morgan reiterated his medical history and the Marine Corps discharged him before he left.

Thomas Edgar Morgan, Sr. was discharged from the Marines and returned to work for a few months then began classes at Louisiana Polytech [Annotator's Note: Louisiana Polytechnic Institute (1921-1970), now Louisiana Tech University] in Ruston, Louisiana. He was reacquainted with a girl he knew as a child and ended up marrying her. He transferred to the University of Houston [Annotator's Note: Houston, Texas]. After his service and college, Morgan worked at the Sinclair refinery in Pasadena [Annotator's Note: Pasadena, Texas]. [Annotator's Note: Phone rings at 0:42:13.000 and briefly interrupts the interview.] He later worked as a consulting engineer for different companies until he retired in 1960.

Thomas Edgar Morgan, Sr. was discharged from the Marines as a Sergeant. While fighting on Guadalcanal [Annotator's Note: Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands], Morgan and the rest of his Division [Annotator's Note: 1st Marine Division] was left by themselves on the island because the Japanese had attacked their supply ships. Morgan recalled eating Japanese rice, coconuts, and bananas, along with C rations for three months. The Japanese put up a lot of resistance, bombing the Americans everyday around noon and again at night. The Americans had air superiority and sank the Japanese ships. Morgan recalled going on patrols and the Japanese would surprise attack them by the river. He also remembered the Japanese positioned a gun in the direction of Henderson Field [Annotator's Notes: now Honiara International Airport, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands] and began shelling them. Morgan commented that the Marines were close knit and shared their food to get by. When the Army came in to help the Marines take the island, the Marines would go and take their food.

Thomas Edgar Morgan, Sr. was assigned to the 1st Marine Division (Reinforced) when they hit Gavutu [Annotator's Note: Gavutu Island, Solomon Islands] and were met by a parapet wall. They realized people were hiding in the wall after one of the Marines stuck a bayonet in the wall. Morgan explained that while on Guadalcanal [Annotator's Note: Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands], the Japanese would do everything they could to kill them. They would climb trees and shoot the Marines as they passed by or set booby traps with bombs. They had to be very careful and extremely vigilant. The worst part of it all for Morgan was the heat and insects.

Thomas Edgar Morgan, Sr. is glad he picked the Marine Corp. He does not think World War 2 changed him in anyway. He thinks he likes how America describes his generation as the Great Generation. He belongs to the 1st Marine Division Veteran's group.