J. C. MORROW

 

REMEMBER?      Harold S. Martin, Colonel (ret.), 3030 Ibsen St., San Diego 6, Calif. (b. Chicago, 14 February, 1892), FAI pilot #427 of March 15, 1916, Aero Club "Expert Pilot" #52, graduated from the USMA and served as 2/Lieut. of Infantry. Flying appeared better than walking and he passed the examination for fitness for flying and soloed at San Diego Dec. 20, 1915, in a Martin TT.      He was detailed in the Aviation Section, Signal Corps, and rated a 1/Lieut. JMA as of June 6, 1916. He promptly served on the border with the First Aero Squadron, our first tactical air organization. He was one of those 61 officers and 256 enlisted men comprising the air force of that day (June 30, 1916).      Here might be a good spot to list those 61 pioneer officers of the Aviation Section, Signal Corps, or with it, in order of duty, as of June 30, 1916. (Of course, other officers have been a part of the air force but they have lost their lives or have left the flying contingent)      F. P. Lahm, B. D. Foulois, J. C. Walker, Jr., C. G. Chapman, H. A. Dargue, J. C. Morrow, V. E. Clark, R. H. Willis, B. Q. Jones, D. B. Netherwood, T. S. Bowen, W. L. Patterson, Leslie MacDill, S. W. FitzGerald, W. G. Kilner, Harry Gantz, A. R. Christie, E. L. Canady, B. M. Atkinson, H. W. Harms, H. S. Martin, J. F. Curry, C. C. Culver, Roy S. Brown, J. W. Heard, Ralph Royce, Carl Spatz, S. H. Wheeler, J. B. Brooks, G. H. Brett, H. C. Davidson, C. W. Russel (NF), G. E. A. Reinburg, M. F. Harmon, J. C. McDonnell, J. W. Butts, L. G. Heffernan, J. C. P. Bartholf, Maxwell Kirby, W. A. Robertson, Davenport Johnson, R. B. Barnitz, J. D. von Holtzendorff, M. F. Scanlon, P. L. Ferron, G. E. Lovell, E. N. Macon (NF), Geo. O. Squier (NF), J. L. Dunsworth, J. F. Byrom, B. G. Weir, B. W. Mills, E. L. Naiden, W. A. Glassford (NF), Wm. Mitchell. From the Early Bird CHIRP, JULY 31, 1949, Number 41 Courtesy of Steve Remington at COLLECTAIR

 

AEROPLANE AND TRANSPORTATION, 1ST AERO SQUADRON, FT. SAM HOUSTON TEXAS, CAPTAIN B. D. FOULOIS COMMANDING USA - 1916 - Library of Congress Collection, 9-14-07

 

ONLINE RESOURCES      If you search for "J. C. Morrow" +aviation, using the Google search engine, (12-8-05), you will find about 41 links.Only a few are relevant.

 

1st Aero Squadron in Pursuit of Pancho Villa      In the first of three parts, this article by Gary Glynn from Aviation History Magazine which is found on The History Net.com website offers a brief reference to Morrow's participation in this event. For fear that the article may disappear from the net in the near future, I have made a copy of two paragraphs which you may read as follows.      "The 1st Aero Squadron was organized in September 1914 and first based at North Island, San Diego. But in March 1915, five pilots, 30 men and three planes had been sent to Galveston, Texas, in response to tensions along the U.S.A. - ­Mexican border. The entire squadron was transferred to Fort Sill, Okla., where the pilots were issued eight Curtiss JN-2s and charged with learning aerial artillery spotting.      Shortly after arriving at Fort Sill, two planes and four pilots were transferred to Brownsville, Texas. It was there, on August 26, 1915, that the airmen first took up one of their new planes. Lieutenants J.C. Morrow and B.Q. Jones encountered turbulence at 1,100 feet, and their Jenny unexpectedly dropped 200 feet. The shaken aviators managed to coax the plane up to 4,500 feet but found it extremely difficult to control. On a subsequent flight, Morrow and his observer were badly hurt when their JN-2 nose-dived during takeoff and smashed into the ground."      You can read this entire fascinating story of Brig. Gen. John J. Pershing's 1916 Mexican expedition, a learning experience for the U.S. Army's first air arm, by clicking on the title above. If the link is obsolete, you might also try: 1st Aero Squadron in Pursuit of Pancho Villa

 

Air Force Link - History      On this extensive listing of important milestones, you will find the followng statement. "Feb 5, 1914 - Lt. J.C. Morrow became the last flier to qualify as a Military Aviator".      You can find the complete list of events by clicking on the title above.

 

I have no information as to the dates of his birth or his death.

 

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