William Henry Morris (Deceased October 24, 2018)

Veteran of Service Battery 1/83rd Artillery 1966-1967.

William Henry Morris, 70, departed peacefully in his home in High Springs, Florida on October 24, 2018.

Mr. Morris was born on September 16, 1948 in Harlan, Kentucky to Curtis Morris and Jewell Hogg. He was a Vietnam veteran having proudly served in the 1st Battalion 83rd Artillery of the United States Army.

He is survived by his loving wife Brenda 'Jeannie' Morris of High Springs; his children Burnett (Michelle) Wheeler, Wilma (Greg) Roberts, Carol (Robert) Shriver, Wayne (Penny) Holder, Brian (Michelle) Holder, Melissa Purvis, Jennifer (Brent) Arnold, Audrey (Charles) West, Rebecca Morris, and his 24 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. He was loved and respected by all his family.

The viewing will be Friday, October 26, 2018 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Evans Carter Funeral Home, 18724 High Springs Main St., High Springs, Florida. The funeral service will be at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, October 27, 2018 at Grace and Praise Ministries, 15880 US-441, Lake City, Florida, officiated by Pastor Wayne Cook with the burial immediately following at the High Springs Cemetery, 23998 NW 192nd Ave., High Springs.

For more information, and to sign his Guestbook, please visit his Memorial Tribute at this page.

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Following is something Rex Hon (66-67) wrote about his good friend Bill...

"A little story about Bill Morris:

When I first visited Bill he was living in Southern Georgia, close to the Florida state line, 10 or 12 years ago.  Later he moved close to his son in Florida. Bill and I both liked outdoor activities like fishing and target shooting.

Bill changed his birth certificate with a pen to become 18 when he was 16. He joined the Army and went to airborne and then for some reason he ended up in the Field Artillery. He was 17 when he went to Vietnam with the 1/83rd. He mother turned him in as underage because she did not want him in Vietnam . You had to be 18 to go to Vietnam. He was sent back to the states but when he turned 18 a month and one half later he was sent back to the 1/83rd.

When Bill was training at Fort Sill he was dating a girl from Lawton Oklahoma. The girl’s dad was Col. McNeeley, the CO of the 1/83rd!!

Bill was in Service Battery. Captain Wilkie (Service Battery CO) took a liking to Bill because he was airborne. Capt. Wilkie was an airborne ranger. Airborne qualified men were rare in the artillery.

When Col. McNeeley was transferred to the Americal Division he took Bill with him."