MORRIS, DARREL

 

Darrel J. Morris was born on May 27, 1985 in Tacoma WA to Jack Harvlie Jr. and Terry Morris. At the age of 10, he moved to Spokane and was raised by his aunt and uncle, Kim and Mik Cole. Darrel had four sisters, Danielle, Brittany, Courtney and Shawndell, as well as 6 nieces and nephews.   

Darrel was a 2004 graduate of Ferris High School where he participated in the DECA program, including working the school store for three years. During his senior year, Darrel qualified for the state DECA competition and went to New York for a weeklong competition. Also, while at Ferris he led the schools Relay for Life team.  

Darrel is remembered as a clean young man regularly looking in the mirror to make sure he was well put together, or could be found occasionally dusting off his shoes or rubbing the scuff marks off his tennis shoes with a dish towel…much to the dismay of Kim. According to one of his friends, Darrel had an old beat up El Camino that he loved, and when he asked him if he wanted to listen to a CD, he had to turn around and one in the boom box he had behind the seat because the car didn’t have a CD player. Darrel’s huge smile was contagious, and you could sum him up with just one simple word “awesome”. 

Prior to graduating from high school, Cpl. Morris joined the United States Marine Corps and in 2004 went to Boot Camp and then on to become an artillery man where he would go on to be assigned to 10th Marine Regiment at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina. During his first deployment to Iraq, Cpl. Morris was shot by small arms fire and received the Purple Heart. After his injury, he returned back to Spokane to complete “recruiter assistance” and then back to Camp LeJune where he would switch units so he could volunteer for a second deployment back to Iraq, just months after his injury.  

On January 21, 2007, Cpl. Morris was killed in action while manning the tourette of their MTVR vehicle when it was struck by an improvised explosive device near an Iraqi Police checkpoint. However, it was Cpl. Morris’s ingenuity, outfitting his vehicle with a spare piece of bullet proof glass that saved the lives of the two other Marines with him.  

Darrel grew up with the will and desire to be number one in all things he involved himself in. Whether it was football or just “lookin’ good”, Darrel excelled! As the minister stated during the funeral, “Darrel spent a lot of time in front of a mirror to make sure that he did, indeed, look good! It is no wonder, then, that he became a Marine! Those “Dress Blues” were made for Darrel!” 

The Washington State Fallen Heroes Project proudly remembers Cpl. Darrel J. Morris for his service, sacrifice, and commitment to our nation. Our hope is that his life continues to inspire all who learn his story.