Morgan W. Colquett, Tech4/Sergeant, U.S. Army, WWII

Morgan Colquett’s vessel arrived at Manila harbor in the middle of night. To guard the ship from Japanese bombers, the lights were off and he could see nothing. Away in the distance there was a siren, and he was wondering if the area was under attack.

The next day the next day, he learned that the Japanese attacked a neighboring town. After more than 30 days of being at in the ocean, he got eager to view the harbor at night. It was awe-inspiring to see that there were sunken vessels everywhere and their masts that were rusting over the water. He later learned that more than 280 vessels were sinking within the harbour.

Morgan Willis Colquett was born in Opp, Alabama, on November 28th 1921. He was the son of Joe Colquett and Beulah Willis Colquett. They would have four kids including Morgan as well as a son David and two daughters Annie Jo and Eloise.

Morgan went to Fleeta School through the 8 ^eighth grade, and then moved onto Opp High School. He was able to graduate in 1940, but a year behind due to having to withdraw from school after his father became sick. Before joining the Army, Morgan worked on the family farm, in Opp’s Opp cotton mill, and at the Opp Ice Plant.

On the 13th of March 1944 Morgan joined Morgan enlisted in the Army from Fort McPherson, Georgia. He was assigned for training at Camp Leroy Johnson near New Orleans, Louisiana, for basic training. Then the camp, he was sent for Fort Claiborne, Louisiana, for 13 weeks of training as a fireman for the locomotive.

In Louisiana, Morgan was sent to Fort Francis E. Warren in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where Morgan continued his training in locomotives. The company he was with is the Headquarters Company, 737

^The

Railway Operating Battalion [ROB]. They ran train services between Cheyenne and Laramie the distance was about 110 miles. In the month of October 1944, Morgan received a place at a a cooking school in Little Rock, Arkansas. Morgan did not enjoy learning to cook. He stayed in the house until February 1945 after which he was transferred for transfer to Camp Stoneman near San Francisco, California for the deployment of the 737.

^Th

ROB in the world.

Morgan’s battalion travelled aboard an old Norwegian transport with no air conditioning. The long trip was so long that the soldiers slept in the top. They quit for the U.S. in February and stopped in New Guinea on March 8. They were delighted when they finally reached Manila’s port Manila on the 26th of March. The problem was that Manila was scorching hot, temperatures reached 100 degrees. They were forced to sleep on mosquito nets.

The day that Morgan along with the 773 ^{ROB arrived, the 737} ROB arrived in Manila, Manila wasn’t liberated for a few months and there were a few groups of Japanese soldiers scattered throughout the countryside. His first job was that of a Sergeant in the Guard, and he was armed with another submachine weapon. He was able to recall that people in the Philippine population was starving as a result of the brutal treatment of the Japanese during the occupation. The animals and cats were not able to be seen since most of them were killed and consumed. There was a Philippine water buffalo also known as a carabao, was abundant however, it was rarely consumed as a food source because it was used as the “beast to bear.”The carabao is widely regarded as a symbol of national significance for the Philippines.

After a couple of weeks the 737 ^the ROB was transferred in Tarlac City, about 65 miles to the north of Manila. Bamban, the city Bamban was approximately half way from Tarlac City. Both cities were major distribution centers for Allied supplies to the Philippines. The trains that traveled through Manila, Bamban and Tarlac City typically operated at night with no lights due to the possibility of attacks by Japanese Guerillas.

Morgan was an operator of telegraphs on the trains in Bamban. Morgan also worked at the depot for trains at Bamban that was without a roof and was destroyed from the Japanese. He worked shifts of 12 hours all week long for six weeks after which he took a rest day. His work was to track trains and provide permissions to train movements. This job became more difficult due to the fact that trains were operating in darkness, with no lights.

At Bamban, Morgan met a young Filipino named Juan. Juan was responsible for chores and maintenance on the tents for the battalion. Juan had a fascinating story to tell. He was a prisoner of the Japanese during their invasion of the Philippines in 1941. Juan along with a number of Filipino prisoners were set to be executed, but Juan was able to escape from the prison before and released the other prisoners.

Morgan remembers the fact that Juan was a reliable worker, and he provided them with coconuts and bananas along with fresh water. He also provided a five-gallon water container that was filled with native whiskey he named Panoke.

In the final days in the conflict, Morgan as well as the 773 ^the ROB were made component of the U.S. 6 ^th Army and moved to a staging area along the beaches of Lingayen Gulf. The various fighting units of the Army were being prepared to prepare for the upcoming invasion of Japan. Morgan said that they’d just gotten settled and had their tents set up when a typhoon struck.

Morgan describes the scene in the aftermath of the storm. He claimed to have seen tents in the palm tree and footlockers floating along the beach that was flooded. While his battalion was waiting for orders and tidying up after the typhoon Morgan and a colleague made a quick excursion to the resort town nearby of Baguio (also known as Little Birmingham].

The region they explored was a mountainous area and contained numerous caves that were built in the cliffs. Morgan recounted the horrifying sight of the bodies of many Japanese soldiers sitting at the entrances to the caves. After Japanese soldiers refused to leave the caves U.S. soldiers drove them out using torch-throwers.

When they arrived in Baguio the group was greeted by a number of prisoners who were just released from an Japanese prison. They were greeted by the Red Cross was tending to hungry and sick prisoners. A lot of prisoners welcomed Morgan and his companion with tears and hugs.

Morgan was back in the base, waiting for orders, when he received the positive information the news that Japan has officially surrendered as of September 2. Morgan along with the 737 ^ROB ROB set off for Korea in the fall of 1945. The unit was shipped to Seoul after having landed on Pusan harbor. They spent the summer at the Emperor’s home in Finchon. Morgan and his group were in Korea until the beginning of March 1946 after which they boarded the vessel, Marine Devil for their return journey home to the States.

The voyage was halted by the massive tidal wave created by an earthquake that struck Aleutian Island off of the shores of Alaska on the 1st day of April. The crew was suffering for a few days due to the tsunami. It was believed that bad luck would be on their side with a smallpox epidemic that was discovered on the ship at the time that they arrived at San Francisco. The illness killed 21 people on board the vessel.

After being in quarantine during 21 consecutive days Morgan as well as the rest of them were allowed to leave. Morgan was released on the 15th of April, 1946. He was given the Philippine Liberation Medal with Bronze Star and the World War II Victory Medal as well as the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal and the Good Conduct Medal.

Morgan stated the town of Opp, Alabama, had never been so beautiful when it was time to go home. He quickly met Myrtice Davis, from Headland, Alabama, who worked for the Alabama Textile Corporation (also known as Alatexin Andalusia.in Andalusia. They got married in 1948, and they settled at Opp, Alabama. They had three children: Joey, Kent and Angela.

Morgan started working for Ralph Avant’s Oil Distributing Company after returning home. He was a salesman on the route transporting gasoline to service stations in the south of Alabama along with northwest Florida. Beginning at the bottom, Morgan worked his way to the top before purchasing the business in 1969. The company was named Colquett Oil, and through the years, was an agent to Pure Oil Company, Union 76 and Fina. At one point the company delivered fuel for 32 gas stations.

Morgan Colquett was a devout Baptist. He was a member of in the Sweetwater Baptist Church in Fleeta as a child and later with his wife, they became members at the First Baptist Church of Opp after their wedding. He was a member of his church, serving as deacon, and also an instructor. Morgan was also a part of the Opp Civitan Club. In the holiday seasons, Morgan could be seen in the early morning hours in the downtown area of Opp setting the up ” Old Glory,” in fronts of structures, and taking them down later at night.

Morgan wasn’t bored at all. He enjoyed cultivating vegetables and distributing them to friends and family. He loved restoring the old farm equipment and tractors and then reselling the reconditioned items.

The year 2008 was the first time Morgan was a participant in the Birmingham, Alabama, program that questioned veterans. Morgan recorded several hours of interviews that were compiled into a 30-minute DVD, and copies were distributed to his family members.

Morgan Colquett died on August 23, 2010 in Opp. The funeral was held in the Wyatt Funeral Home Chapel and his burial was held with military honors at the Peaceful Acres Cemetery in Opp. He was preceded by his parents and partner, Myrtice. He is survived by one brother named David Colquett; two sisters, Eloise [Wayne] Northey and Annie Jo [Earl] Farmer and two brothers, Joey [Connie] Colquett and Kent Colquett; a daughter, Angela [Randy] Nelson Four grandchildren, nine grand-children as well as numerous cousins.

-John Vick – John Vick

This author wishes to acknowledge Angela Nelson for helping write her father’s story.

[Sources: Wikipedia; www.history.army.mil; www.militaryrailwayservice.blogspot.com; The Montgomery Advertiser, June 11, 1944; The National World War II Museum]

The article Morgan W. Colquett Tech4/Sergeant U.S. Army, WWII appeared at The Andalusia Star-News.