Army Spc. Dennis B. Morgan

Died April 17, 2004 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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22, of Valentine, Neb.; assigned to 153rd Engineer Battalion, Army National Guard, Winer, S.D.; killed April 17 when his armored personnel carrier hit an improvised explosive device in Iskandariyah, Iraq.

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Community pays tribute to slain soldier

By Chet Brokaw

Associated Press

WINNER, S.D. — Dennis Morgan threw himself into his job after his South Dakota National Guard unit arrived in Iraq a couple of months ago, his best friend said Monday.

“He knew there was nothing he could do about it, so he just decided to put his head down and charge,” Sgt. Mike Lee, of Winner, said before a memorial ceremony to honor Morgan, who was killed in Iraq on April 17.

“He was proud of what he did,” said Lee, who was granted leave so he could return home for his friend’s funeral and other ceremonies.

Lee joined more than 1,000 others Monday night in the Winner National Guard Armory for a memorial service for Morgan, a member of the National Guard’s 153rd Engineer Battalion of Winner.

Morgan’s funeral was to be held Tuesday in Valentine, Neb., where he was living before the unit was called up, with burial later in the day at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis.

Morgan, 22, was killed when a roadside bomb exploded as a military convoy passed. He was manning an automatic weapon on an armored personnel carrier and was hit by shrapnel.

He was the sixth soldier with South Dakota ties to die in Iraq in the past year. The seventh was Staff Sgt. Cory W. Brooks of Philip, a member of the same battalion who died Saturday in a noncombat incident.

Those who spoke at Monday’s ceremony remembered Morgan as a teenager who sometimes got into mischief and a man with an ever-present smile.

“He loved everybody. He was always friendly,” his wife, Cassie, told the crowd. She and Morgan were married on Nov. 29, just before the battalion was mobilized.

Morgan held the rank of a specialist, but was promoted to sergeant after his death. Officials on Monday presented his family with the Purple Heart for Morgan’s injury and the Bronze Star for his meritorious service.

Gov. Mike Rounds said Morgan and other soldiers have given their lives to defend the freedoms that Americans hold dear.

“In a time of sorrow like this, it’s hard, it’s very hard, to recognize that gift that Dennis has given to all of us,” the governor said.

Maj. Gen. Michael Gorman, head of the South Dakota National Guard, said he had hoped no Guard member from South Dakota would die in Iraq, but Morgan and Brooks died within a week of each other.

“Both of these great Americans were great soldiers. They both paid the ultimate sacrifice so the rest of us could live in freedom,” Gorman said.

Those at the ceremony watched a video that included pictures of Morgan at his wedding, at home and in uniform. The event ended with a 21-gun salute and the playing of Taps.

Lee recalled how he heard a loud crack when the bomb blew up and killed Morgan. The unit responded exactly as it had been trained, but nothing could be done to save his friend, he said.

Lee will return to Iraq on May 5, but he said the trip home has helped him deal with his grief over the death of Morgan, who was like a brother.

“I think coming home was good for me because I was struggling a bit,” Lee said.

“I’ve never done this before, and I hope I never do it again.”

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Valentine family to remember fallen soldier as hero

VALENTINE, Neb. — A South Dakota National Guard member from Nebraska who was killed in Iraq over the weekend will be remembered by his widow as a hero.

Spc. Dennis Morgan, 22, of Valentine died when a roadside bomb exploded south of Baghdad. He was a member of the 153rd Engineer Battalion of Winner, S.D. that was mobilized Dec. 7 and deployed to the Middle East in February, the National Guard said.

“He was a wonderful man, a hero, very loving and always happy,” said wife Cassie Morgan, who was on her way home from North Platte when she got the call.

Spc. Morgan was in the last vehicle of a convoy, protecting an armored personnel carrier when a roadside bomb exploded and shrapnel hit him in the head.

“They said I needed to go straight home. At first they wouldn’t tell me if it was military related. When they finally said yes, I knew right away it was Dennis and I was in hysterics,” she said.

Morgan joined the National Guard four years ago, she said.

The Morgans were married Nov. 29 at the Evangelical Church in Valentine. They met at the Black Hills Stock Show on Feb. 7, 2003.

The couple planned to move to Rapid City so he could attend mechanic school and she could pursue a nursing degree.

Cassie said her husband was in good spirits the last time she talked with him on April 8. He even mentioned coming home in July or August for a two-week leave, she said.

Morgan loved cars and motorcycles. His 1975 Ford pickup was a great source of pride.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

Morgan is the 10th soldier with Nebraska ties to die in the war since it began in March 2003. He is the first casualty involving the South Dakota National Guard, which has nearly 1,200 members in the Middle East.

“I know where he’s at now,” Cassie said. “I know he’s safe and he’s looking down at me.”

— Associated Press