Emmett A Morgan

Video Tribute: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swf5__aK1-Q May the road rise up to meet you, May the wind be always at your back, May the sun shine warm upon your face, And all the rains fall soft upon your fields, And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand. Emmett Arthur Morgan died of a heart attack on a beautiful Sunday, May 2nd of 2021. He was a Catholic boy from the south side of Chicago, the son of Irish immigrants. Mary Quinn Morgan was from a little place called Islandeady, county Mayo - and John Morgan was from Kilkeel, just north of Dublin and Dundalk. He grew up a dedicated Alter boy, and completed the Seminary in Chicago and Mundelein, before being drafted to serve during the Vietnam War. The U.S. Army sent him to language school where he learned Vietnamese before going to Saigon, where he soon met Nguyet. He spent years dutifully fighting communism and a couple more years jumping through hoops to marry and bring home a tiny, fierce woman with a golden heart. He brought her back to a cold and windy Chicago, and found a way to support and basically raise her large immigrant family, through just working and doing the right thing, at every turn. His brothers and sisters were a bedrock for him, and forever a source of love, comfort and happiness for him. Thank you Ann, Mack, John, Jan, Brian and Carol, for your everlasting love and support. He was a wonderful Dad, taking incredible joy in playing with his sons, helping them with homework, and encouraging them to experience and accomplish anything they wanted to pursue in the world. He did a few years in the Coast Guard Reserve in the 80s, and the years in San Diego were highlighted and punctuated by the lives of a large Vietnamese family, growing up, turning into adults, getting married, having kids of their own, and their own myriad of crises and achievements. This whirlwind of new Americans all knew and loved Emmett as a lynchpin that held it all together. Funny how a calamitous pile of shoes at the door, could mean so much. A pituitary tumor almost stole him from us before his second round of adventures could begin. A call from Dave Atherton in 1990 landed Emmett and family in Bangkok on a new path. Through the Defence Intelligence Agency, my father served in the POW/MIA Dept on a mission to find missing Americans from the Vietnam War. Escorted by "Communist" officers on Russian helicopters, he was often in wild country alone, searching jungles and refugee camps for our missing troops. He studied the Khmer language, while visiting refugees in Cambodian camps, giving a little here and there where he could, to ease their misery. In searching for POW/MIAs across Asia, he mostly found desperate peoples, bogus reports, real crash sites, remains of brave soldiers, and a lot of Closure for a lot of American families. He also helped build trust, and re-establish diplomatic communication between 2 countries that had not spoken since the tanks rolled into Saigon. An old Army friend named Webster tells us that Emmett was an exceptional Vietnamese linguist. It's a difficult language, and of all the guys he knew, Emmett had the greatest gift for getting a grasp on it and using it to great effect. All told, Emmett Arthur Morgan has been awarded numerous citations and commendations, from the Army, the Coast Guard, the DIA, the DOD, and some clandestine "Civilian" units. Most notably, he earned the Bronze Star for heroic and meritorious service in combat. He was surprised years later to find himself at retirement age, taking the opportunity to spend his days with his loving wife of so many decades, and travelling with his wife and sons back to Saigon, Ireland, and Thailand - places of special heritage and significance for a most unusual family. He spent his final years in a very comfortable house in Las Vegas, with his wife and sons close in his life. He was most proud of his Service to the greatest nation, and of his time spent in extraordinary places, looking for Our guys. He wore his Veteran hat proudly everywhere he went, and he carried a lifetime of adventures in the stories he told us. Emmett Morgan was an exemplar of Duty, and Sacrifice. He never left Nguyet's side, her continuous companion and guardian, from the day he met her, until the day he died. He was the best Dad anybody could ask for, because he loved us so much. He cared for so many people, and touched so many in his journey through life. He was one of the Good Guys. Maybe he was the Best Guy.

Emmett A Morgan

September 14, 1947 - May 2, 2021