MG Francis J. McMorrow
MG Francis J. McMorrow was born in New York City on 27 August 1910. He attended Manhattan College for 1 year and then entered the U.S. Army Military Academy at West Point. He graduated and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Coast Artillery Corps in June 1933. General McMorrow also earned a Master of Science degree in 1938 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His military schooling included the U.S. Army Ordnance School in 1937 and the U.S. Army National War College in 1955.
From 1933 to 1937, General McMorrow served as an Anti-aircraft Unit Commander and as an instructor in the West Point Preparatory School. This period also included a tour in the Philippine Islands. He was detailed to the Ordnance Department in 1937 and later transferred to that department in June 1941. During World War II, General McMorrow was an Ordnance Staff Officer with the Army Air Force Materiel Command and Chief of the Ordnance Special Staff Section at Headquarters, 7th Air Force, and Headquarters, Far East Air Forces. He became Ordnance Officer of the 7th Air Force in September 1944. Shortly after the war ended, he was detailed to duty with the Department of State Foreign Liquidation Commission in the Far East.
General McMorrow returned from the Far East in late 1946 and was assigned as Chief of the Research and Development Department at Springfield Armory. From July 1951 to February 1954, he was assigned to the Office, Chief of Ordnance, where he subsequently became the Executive Officer to the Chief of Ordnance. General McMorrow was assigned to G4, Headquarters, U.S. Army Europe, during 1955 and 1956. Then, in December 1956, he became Commanding Officer, and later Commanding General, of the Ordnance Training Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground. He became the Assistant Chief of Ordnance on 15 July 1957. Prior to assuming duties at the Army Ordnance Missile Command, he served as Director of Procurement, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Department of the Army. General McMorrow became the first Commanding General of the U.S. Army Missile Command on 5 June 1962. He served in that capacity until his death on 24 August 1963. Later that year, the new research and development facility (Building 5400) at Redstone Arsenal was dedicated to his memory and named the Francis J. McMorrow Missile Laboratories.
General McMorrow was awarded a variety of decorations. He received the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the World War II victory Medal (with 4 Overseas Service Bars), the Army of Occupation of Japan Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Asia-Pacific Campaign Medal.
