Engineer Memoirs
tactical officer at the U.S. Military Academy. In 1969 he returned to Engineer units in the field by
becoming commanding general of the 18th Engineer Brigade in South Vietnam, which in addition to
its combat duties was responsible for a major highway construction program. Command positions in
the Corps of Engineers also were important. In the early 1960s he led the Tulsa Engineer District,
which had one of the largest workloads in the Corps including major water resources and military
construction projects. Five years after leaving Tulsa, General Morris returned to the country's
heartland in 1970 as commander of the Missouri River Division just as the growing environmental
movement began to have a substantial impact on the Corps.
With this diverse background of assignments, General Morris became Director of Civil Works
under Chief of Engineers, Lieutenant General Frederick J. Clarke, in 1972. For the next eight years
he held key positions in Corps' headquarters. After he retired from the Army in 1980 to the strains of
the popular song, "Please release me, let me go," played by the Army band at his retirement parade,
General Morris began an active career as a civilian engineer, first with a Dutch company and then with
his own corporation. He also found time for teaching and philanthropic work, most of it related to his
chosen profession and to the organization he had served for 37 years. Named Construction Man of the
Year by the Engineering News Record in 1977, the former Chief of Engineers continued to receive
honors in retirement, including most recently the Founder's Award of the National Academy of
Engineering and recognition as a Distinguished Graduate of the U.S. Military Academy.
The oral history interview, which forms the bulk of this publication, is General Morris'
reminiscences and reflections on his background and personal life, his long career in the Corps of
Engineers, and his activities after he retired from the Army. Like all oral history interviews, this
transcript contains General Morris' personal thoughts and perspectives. His views do not necessarily
reflect those of the Department of Defense or the Army Corps of Engineers. The strength of oral
history is that it captures the unique perspectives and interpretations of individuals who witnessed or
participated in historical events. Oral history can supplement and enrich the official record but never
replace it. Interviews are often not objective nor are they expected to be. Their value is contained in
the personal perspective they provide.
We discussed
General Morris and I taped the bulk of the interview in 13 sessions during
the subjects of each session prior to taping it and worked from a rough and constantly evolving
outline. After the tapes were transcribed, General Morris edited the transcripts carefully and
conscientiously. I assisted General Morris in his review of the transcripts, prepared the front matter
for this publication, and chose the photographs from General Morris' personal photograph collection.
The Office of History thanks General Morris for the time and energy he devoted to this project, which
was certainly more time consuming and lengthy than he anticipated.
interview sessions took place in General Morris' office in Arlington, Virginia, on 5, 11, 19, and
25 January, February, 1 March, 5, 12, and
April, 6, 10, 17, and 20 December 1993 and 18 April 1995.
General Morris also recorded one session with Dr. Paul
Walker, Chief, Office of History, Headquarters, U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, on 29 November 1984. The original tapes and unedited transcripts are in the Research
Collections, Office of History, in Alexandria, Virginia.
Previous Page
