Morris Thompson Warner

West Point, 1955

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Harry Warner on October 15, 2010:

Colonel Morris T. Warner, Jr., USAF (Ret.) of Staunton, Virginia died October 11, 2010 after a brief illness from complications of the Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that he battled courageously and determinedly for over ten years. He was born in Staunton on October 4, 1932, the son of Morris Thompson and Virginia Worthington Warner. As a youth he participated in the Boy Scouts and earned the rank of Eagle Scout. He graduated from Virginia Episcopal School in Lynchburg, and attended the University of Virginia for one year before entering the U. S. Military Academy at West Point from which he graduated in 1955. He received a commission in the U. S. Air Force in the last West Point class able to do so before the training of Air Force Officers at the new U. S. Air Force Academy where he began his career on the tactical staff in 1956. During his career he served in many capacities all over the world, and attended Squadron Officers School, Air Command and Staff College and the Air War College. An early favorite assignment was as Aide-de-Camp to Major General Joseph D. Caldera, Commander of the Joint Military Group -- Spain. In 1969 he began a tour as a combat fighter pilot in Vietnam, flying an A-37B "Dragonfly" on 193 missions. Some were close-air support to planes spraying Agent Orange, a toxic defoliant, which was confirmed later by the U. S. Defense Department as being the source of his lymphoma. While serving in the 60th Military Airlift Wing at Travis AFB in California in the 1970's, he flew continuous trans-oceanic flights, including supply missions to a National Science Foundation research group in Antarctica. In 1979, having attended language school at the Presidio in Monterey, CA to learn Farsi, he was assigned to the U. S. Headquarters and later to the U. S. State Department in Tehran, Iran. He was taken as a hostage for several days by militants who stormed the embassy after the Shah abandoned the county (the so called "first" Iranian revolution). He returned to Travis AFB as a vice commander of a C5A (the Air Force's largest airplane) wing. One of his last assignments was as Armament Cooperation Officer in the office of Casper Weinberger, Secretary of Defense, in which he handled classified arms negotiations with foreign governments. He was awarded many citations including the Defense Superior Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, Defense Meritorious Service, eight Air Medals and Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm. He retired from active duty in 1984 and, after several years in private industry, moved to Goshen and subsequently back to Staunton. He was a man who epitomized the West Point motto, "Duty, Honor, Country," had the courage of very strong convictions, possessed a roguish sense of humor and never complained, even about his late-in-life illness. He was much beloved by his family and will be missed by his many friends and acquaintances. He is survived by his long-time companion, Debra Baker Powell, of Charlottesville and her son and daughter-in-law, Wesley and Kathryn Powell of Chicago; a sister, Virginia Warner Louisell, of Irvington; a brother, Harry Hathaway Warner, of Lexington; seven nieces and nephews: John W. Munce of Charlotte, William C. Munce of San Francisco, Ann W. Batley of Millboro Springs, and Virginia M. Bertholet, Harry H. Warner, Jr., Cabell W. Gorman, and M. Patrick Warner, all of Richmond; three cousins: Sarah Vance Bickley of High Point, Dr. Sam Vance, III, Roanoke, Martha Vance Brown of Pinehurst; nine grand nephews and nieces. A funeral celebrating his life will be held at Trinity Episcopal Church (214 West Beverley St., Staunton) at 11 am Saturday, October 16th. , followed by a burial with military honors in Thornrose Cemetery in Staunton and a reception at the Stonewall Jackson Hotel. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Stonewall Jackson Council, Boy Scouts of America, POB 813, Waynesboro, VA 22980.

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