Charles McMorris

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Charles "Soc" Horatio McMorris (August 31, 1890-1954) was an American rear admiral during World War II, most notably commanding forces at the Battle of the Komandorski Islands and Aleutian Islands.

Born in Wetumpka, Alabama, McMorris attended public schools in Wetumpka for several years before entering the U.S. Naval Academy on June 26, 1908. Graduating fifth in his class from the United States Naval Academy on June 8, 1912, McMorris served as an ensign aboard several battleships including the USS Delaware, USS Montana and the USS New Hampshire later taking part in the occupation of Vera Cruz in 1914, as part of the United State's intervention into Mexico. He would also serve aboard the battleship USS Maryland which salvaged the USS F-4 following its sinking off the coast of Honolulu, Hawaii in 1915.

A junior officer during World War I, McMorris saw action in the Atlantic aboard the destroyers USS Shaw and USS Meredith before his promotion to Lieutenant in 1918. During the inter-war years, McMorris was stationed in various sea and shore posts before his graduation from the Naval War College in 1938, serving as operations offer to the Hawaiian based US fleet from 1939 until 1941.

Appointed war plans officer to the Pacific Fleet following the attack on Pearl Harbor, he remained in this post until April 1942 when he was assigned command of Cruiser Task Force 8 led by the cruiser USS San Francisco. After engaging the Imperial Japanese Navy several times in the Aleutian Islands campaign, specifically at the Battle of the Komandorski Islands and Battle of the Aleutian Islands (as well winning distinction for bravery and awarded the Distinguished Service Medal during a skirmish on October 11-12, 1943), McMorris was named Chief of Staff of the Pacific Fleet in June 1943, as well as a personal advisor to Admiral Chester Nimitz (during which he would later be awarded the Gold Star), a post in which he would remain until the end of the war. Briefly serving as Vice Admiral from September 23, 1944 until July 1948, McMorris would serve as commander of the US 4th Fleet and President of the General Board before assuming command of Pearl Harbor's Fourth Naval District on August 25, 1948. McMorris would eventually command the Pearl Harbor naval base before retiring to Marietta, Pennsylvania, where he lived until his death in 1954.

The USS McMorris (DE-1036) would later be named after him.