By: Mark Holtsberry
Morris Homer Spriggs is the highest ranking naval officer to come from Paulding County. He was born April 18, 1892, in Paulding, Ohio, the son of Frank and Margaret (Petty) Spriggs.
Frank Spriggs was born in Noble County in 1863 and studied law in his brother’s law office in Caldwell, Ohio. He passed the bar exam then moved to Paulding in 1889 to open up a law office. Frank moved back to Noble County long enough to meet and marry his childhood sweetheart, Margaret Petty, July 16, 1891.
Margaret was born in October 10, 1864 in Sarahsville in Noble County. The daughter of Francis Asbury and Harriet Petty.
On March 20, 1894, Frank and Margaret welcomed a daughter, Florence. By 1900, the Spriggs family was living on Wayne Street in Paulding. A daughter, Francis P., was born on November 26, 1900.
Morris was raised with a religious background, as his father, Frank, taught the Sunday school class for boys. The Methodist Church became the place where the young boys in the community were taught a lot of lessons. Frank taught Sunday school for 35 years. Morris lost his mother, Margaret, August 8, 1908. She passed away in Ft. Wayne, Indiana and is buried in Live Oak Cemetery in Paulding.
By 1910, Morris and his family were living at 214 North Cherry Street in Paulding. Morris joined the Navy in 1911. He was appointed midshipman, August 8, 1911, promoted to Ensign, June 5, 1915, promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade, July 1, 1917. He was promoted temporary Lieutenant, October 15, 1917 and was promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade permanently, June 5, 1918. He served on the ship “Paducah” from October 28, 1916 – July 20, 1917, then was sent to New York, New York where he served on the ship, “George Washington”. It was commissioned, August 2, 1917 – June 4, 1918. Between all these promotions and moving from ship to ship, Morris met and married, Helen L. Wright, in Manhatten, New York, January 31, 1918, she was born October 13, 1897.
Morris received his full promotion to Lieutenant, July 1, 1920, and he also served on the ship, “Perkins”, June 5, 1918 – August 14, 1919. In 1929, Morris was stationed in Mississippi where he served until January 26, 1930. From there he was sent to the Naval yard in Philadelphia.
By July 22, 1931, Morris was living in San Francisco, California, and from there he was sent to Hawaii for duty. On June 4, 1936, Morris was promoted to Lieutenant Commander and retired June 30, 1936.
In 1938, Morris and his new wife, Marie Angela, were living in San Diego, California (I’m not sure what happened to his first wife, Helen). Morris, a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, could not stay at home. Being put on retired list February 25, 1942, Morris offered his services in training in the Philippines. In May 24, 1942, as Corregidor Islands fell, Morris was captured, sent to Davao, Philippines, becoming a prisoner of war.
On October 24, 1944, Morris and 1,780 other prisoners of war, were boarded on the Japanese ship, Arisan Maru. This ship was going to set sail to Japan, and was being tracked by the U.S.S. Shark. At 5:30 P.M., the submarine fired three torpedos, splitting the ship in two and sinking the ship, only 9 prisoners survived. Morris’s body was never recovered. He was awarded the Purple Heart, and a memorial Monument was placed in Manila, Philippines at the Manila – American Cemetery and Memorial Walls of the Missing. A memorial plaque was also placed in Live Oak Cemetery.
Until Next Time…
