Col. Leonard A. Morley

Enlisted in the US Army on August 3, 1943. On March 12, 1945 received the temporary rank of
2nd Lieutenant (AUS). Became a Chief Warrant Officer in the Regular Army on November 1, 1954.
Extended Active Duty Commissioned Service (EADCS). Promoted to Captain in the Regular Army
on May 9, 1958 with Date of Rank back to April 1, 1953.

Received the temporary rank of Major (AUS) on October 9, 1958. Promoted to Major in the Regular Army
on July1, 1960. Graduated from the Army Command and General Staff College in 1960. Promoted to the
temporary rank of Lieutenant Colonel (AUS) on March 27, 1963.

Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in the Regular Army on July 1, 1967. Promoted to the temporary rank of
Colonel (AUS) on June 13, 1968. Retirement data not available.

Photo by Russell Zink Executive Officer B 1/22 Infantry 1966 Commanding Officer HHC 1/22 Infantry 1967

Date of birth: November 14, 1919
Date of death: May 10, 2010
Burial Location: Kent, Washington
Place of Birth: Centralia, Washington
Home of record: Oroville, Washington

Leonard Morley was born in Centralia, WA to Montague Richard Morley and Sarah Anne Isbill. He attended schools in Bothell
and graduated from Oroville High School, Oroville, WA.
He married Marjorie Candland in November 1941 and had a daughter, Pamela, in 1943. He was divorced in 1946 and in Oct. 1947
married Chartley Nutter Shugren, who preceded him in death in Sept. 2004. He then married June Soderlund on May 20, 2006.
Leonard volunteered to serve his country joining the US Army in 1943 and served in Europe 1944-1946.
He received a battlefield commission to 2nd Lt. in March 1944. Leonard loved and served his country for 33 years and attained the rank of Colonel.
He served in three wars, World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Other assignments included Ft. Lee, Virginia; Germany; Japan; Ft. Carson, Colorado,
Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas; the Pentagon; Ft. Lewis, WA and Hunter-Liggett, CA.
Army awards and decorations include the Silver Star, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Bronze Star with two oak leaf clusters,
Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters and the Army Commendation Medal.
He also loved to sing. He sang during his school days and was often asked to sing for his commanders at military social events as well as weddings.
Until a few days before he passed away he was still humming and singing for us. He beamed a smile as he sang the old hymns and his favorite Irish songs.
He loved skiing around the world and attended several Winter Olympics and was also an avid golfer. While commander at Hunter-Liggett,
he rode his horse around the post to save fuel and the environment.

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918
(amended by an act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Lieutenant Colonel (Infantry)
Leonard Aardale Morley (ASN: 0-8****), United States Army, for repeated gallantry in action during the period
September 1966 through January 1967, while serving as Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion, 22d Infantry Regiment,
4th Infantry Division. Lieutenant Colonel Morley consistently demonstrated unusual courage in aggressively leading
his battalion against a determined enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. On 16 September 1966, while flying reconnaissance
in his command and control helicopter, he received word than an Air Force pilot had been downed in his vicinity.
Undeterred by the knowledge that a large enemy force was operating in the area, he began a low level search that led
to his discovery of the downed pilot. As rescue ships, directed to the location by Lieutenant Colonel Morley, attempted
to extract the pilot by means of a hoist, the man lost his grip and fell into the dense jungle below. Lieutenant Colonel Morley
had his aircraft land in the nearest clearing, about 1,000 meters away, and led a rescue party of three men into the
enemy-infested forest in a daring attempt to reach the endangered pilot. Stalwartly forging his way through the dense
undergrowth and marking his courage with smoke grenades to alert the gunships of his progress, Lieutenant Colonel Morley
and his team located the pilot, who had been fatally wounded by the fall. He then led his men on the difficult trek
back to the extraction site. Again on 21 September 1966, he displayed bravery, a keen interest in the actions of his men
and an intense desire to remain fully abreast of the tactical situation. In his Command and Control Helicopter,
while searching for signs of enemy activity, he observed a platoon of Viet Cong moving toward a small village.
He immediately called in an airstrike, which forced the enemy to drop their equipment and scatter into the hills.
He then directed Company C to move into the area by armored personnel carrier and to conduct a search of the vicinity.
Upon the arrival of Company C, he landed his helicopter and proceeded with them on their mission, providing
sound advice and invaluable information gained form his aerial observation of the fleeing enemy. His example of deep concern
for the men through his personal involvement in the operation, at great risk to his safety, inspired the officers and men
of Company C and insured a successful outcome. On numerous other occasions, Lieutenant Colonel Morley
courageously accompanied his units on various missions. In December 1966 and January 1967, despite the imminent dange
of heavy contact with the enemy, he traveled for several days with his rifle companies in their search and destroy operations
in order to gain better insight into the conduct of the missions and to observe actual field conditions.
On 4 January 1967, he joined a reconnaissance platoon in a village clearing operation, where he helped with the
interrogation of suspected Viet Cong. Lieutenant Colonel Morley has continually placed himself in the midst of
combat operations in his insistent (Remainder of Citation Missing.)

General Orders: Headquarters, 4th Infantry Division, General Orders No. 1205 (June 6, 1967)

Action Date: September 1966 - January 1967

Service: Army

Rank: Lieutenant Colonel

Company: Commanding Officer

Battalion: 1st Battalion

Regiment: 22d Infantry Regiment

Division: 4th Infantry Division

Legion Of Merit Medal

Colonel Leonard Aardale Morley (ASN: 0-8****), United States Army,
was awarded the Legion of Merit for exceptionally meritorious conduct
in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States.

Colonel Leonard Aardale Morley (ASN: 0-8****), United States Army,
was awarded a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award
of the Legion of Merit for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance
of outstanding services to the Government of the United States.

Birth: Nov. 14, 1919
Centralia
Lewis County
Washington, USA
Death: May 10, 2010
Burlington
Skagit County
Washington, USA

Burial:
Tahoma National Cemetery
Kent
King County
Washington, USA
Plot: Mausoleum Wall O