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Thursday, November 12, 2026Nov 12

Navy medic Carl Morgan saw action in biggest naval battle of World War II

Staff photo by Troy Stolt / World War II veteran James Carl Morgan poses for a portrait at his home in Rossville. Morgan served as a medic in the U.S. Navy during the war.
Staff photo by Troy Stolt / World War II veteran James Carl Morgan poses for a portrait at his home in Rossville. Morgan served as a medic in the U.S. Navy during the war. Staff photo by Troy Stolt / World War II veteran James Carl Morgan poses for a portrait at his home in Rossville. Morgan served as a medic in the U.S. Navy during the war.

Carl Morgan, 97, has become something of a celebrity at his local Costco. He’s not one to brag about it, so his daughter does it for him.

“They treated him like a rock star,” Kay King said of a recent visit to have her dad’s hearing aid adjusted. “He had his World War II cap on, and a couple of the clerks got out their cellphones and asked to take photos with him. One of them said she’d never seen a World War II veteran before.”

Because of his age and coronavirus concerns, the Rossville resident stays close to home these days. But when he does leave the house, he often wears the World War II ball cap.

“It gets me a meal every once in a while,” he said, chuckling.

It has been 70 years since Morgan began his military service. It would be 50 years before he deemed his memories worth sharing.