In this deeply moving episode of *American Warrior Radio*, we meet **Chris Morgan**, a World War II fighter pilot whose dream of flying quickly spiraled into a nightmare on his very first combat mission. Shot down over Burma, captured by the Japanese, and imprisoned for two grueling years, Chris shares a story not only of survivalโbut of transformation.
Through jungle escapes, brutal treatment, and near-starvation, Chris reveals how a powerful shift from self-preservation to compassion helped him endure. He reflects on the trauma of war, the strength of the human will, and the healing influence of **love**, especially the life-changing support of his wife, **Connie**, whom he calls the most powerful positive force in his life.
From youthful dreams and wartime horrors to postwar struggles and ultimate redemption, this episode explores two profound truths: the will to live, and the enduring strength of human connection.
Episode 23: The Day Chris Morgan’s Dream Took an Unexpected Turn
In this episode of American Warrior Radio (OGTA #8), we hear the incredible story of Chris Morgan, a World War II veteran and former Prisoner of War, who shares a powerful account of determination, survival, and the transformative power of love.
Chris Morgan, born in Whitestone, New York, developed a love for airplanes early in life by watching them fly at famous airfields like Floyd Bennett Field and Mitchell Field. The drone of the military planes flying in formation left a lasting impression. When Pearl Harbor was attacked, Chris and his friends were standing outside a soda shop and heard the news. Immediately, they all wanted to enlist and everyone selected the Air Corps with the goal of becoming pilots. Chris was the only one of his group who made it through flight school.
His flight training included instruction from an English pilot who had flown in the Battle of Britain. Chris graduated in March 1943 after completing 200 hours of air time across primary, basic, and advanced training. He made a deliberate choice to go into single-engine aircraft training rather than multi-engine. This decision was influenced by the “horrendous” casualty figures coming out of Europe from the Eighth Air Force flying B-17s. He didn’t want the immense responsibility for the lives of ten men on a bomber crew, thinking that if he went down in a single-engine plane, he’d only take himself. Chris believed he was a good pilot and knew his job, understanding that his role at the time would have been to kill people. He felt a strong respect for the Air Force uniform.
Chris’s story takes a dramatic turn on his first combat mission, flown on October 16, 1943, as part of the 311th Fighter Bomber Group’s initial mission into Burma. Flying a derivative of the P-51 Mustang, Chris never even reached his target. His flight leader got lost, a failure Chris attributed to inexperience and insufficient preparation. Chris, realizing they were lost and flying in circles, flew alongside his flight leader and told him he could lead them home. However, the major pointed to his rank and ordered Chris back into formation. Chris followed orders. Ultimately, his flight leader ran out of gas and crashed.
Chris also ran out of fuel. Drawing on his training to always have a potential landing spot in mind, he knew where to go. He landed in a rice field. The impact destroyed the airplane.
After the crash, Chris and another person named Beau (who was presumably with him, as they tried to escape together) attempted to find their way back towards India. They stole a canoe to cross a river and navigated through thick jungle. Beau got stuck in quicksand, but Chris was able to pull him out using lanyards they had saved from their parachutes. They encountered Burmese natives who appeared to be Boy Scouts, leading Chris to hope they would be taken to India. Instead, the natives led them into a Japanese ambush.
The Japanese soldiers who captured them were described as “not nice” and disliked them because their group had been strafing in the area. The initial treatment was harsh; Chris and Beau were beaten and tied up, causing their hands to swell painfully. When Beau got angry and started swearing, the soldiers hit him with burning wood, prompting Chris to tell him to stop. Chris described that first night as one of the worst experiences he’d had. The next day, he met an English-speaking Japanese soldier who demanded information beyond name, rank, and serial number. When Chris initially refused, a rifle was fired next to his head, and he was hit over the head with another rifle. Shown a sword and told he “must talk,” Chris conceded he had to talk (presumably still within the bounds of military code, though the source doesn’t explicitly state this).
Chris spent two years as a prisoner of war. He endured almost three months in solitary confinement. He managed to keep a small piece, a pocket, of the uniform he was wearing on October 16, 1943, using it to keep any valuables he had. The rest of his uniform disintegrated over time. Chris recounted a powerful moment in the prison camp where he saw a fellow prisoner, King, who was too sick to eat his rice. Chris initially thought about getting the rice himself but then reflected on “how low can you get” to wish another man couldn’t eat for your own gain. This experience helped him change his attitude, becoming more compassionate and worried about others rather than just himself.
Reflecting on survival, Chris mentioned Jim Drake, who felt they would die by Christmas if they didn’t get out; Drake died on Christmas Day 1944. Chris directly related this to Drake’s “will to die”. Chris’s own “will change” became a “will to live,” which he believes is why he is alive today. Chris holds a strong view that war is “very stupid”, citing his college experience where he realized the pointlessness of fighting and how people continue to find worse ways to kill each other.
Coming home was an emotional experience; his mother and father collapsed in his arms at the front door. That moment and the memory of it have stayed with him forever, and he believes the knowledge of that love sustained him and others in the prison camp. Remarkably, the Japanese soldiers had even allowed him to keep a picture of his mother and sister, understanding it was his mother.
After the war, Chris regretted that the opportunity was not there for him to continue flying, citing a lack of guidance or chances to get back into squadron work. He attended William and Mary, inspired by a picture of a couple in a canoe on the campus lake. He described his five years there as “wasted” because he “drank too damn much”. However, his life changed significantly when he met Connie, whom he describes as the “biggest powerful positive influence” in his life. Meeting Connie helped him get away from drinking and focus on becoming the person he was meant to be, leading to success in business and becoming a successful father.
Chris’s story takes a poignant turn as he reveals that his wife Connie passed away three years before the interview. He told the interviewer that the past three years had been harder than any Japanese prison camp. He attributes his ability to turn his life around after the war not just to his own will, but to the power of human love, specifically Connie’s influence, love, and support. He emphasizes that love is earned and respected over the years, stating his own marriage got better and better, and he still loves Connie “more so” even after her death.
Looking back, Chris’s advice for a 16-year-old is not to go through life angry, to maintain the best possible mental frame, and to cultivate enthusiasm for life. He also stresses the importance of loving one another. The interviewer, aviation artist John Mollison, who is known for telling the stories behind aircraft, reflects on Chris’s story by highlighting two powers: the “power of will” needed to endure extreme hardship, and the “power of human love,” which he saw in Connie’s influence, enabling Chris to succeed and focus after the ordeal was over. Mollison emphasizes the importance of preserving these stories, quoting, “When an old man dies, a library burns”.
Chris Morgan’s account is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, the heavy cost of war, and the enduring strength found in love and connection.