Death
Unfortunately, Morrisey's heroic work as a rifleman for the Marines did not have a happy ending. As a result of his dangerous position, Morrisey experienced a horrific event that eventually led to the loss of his life. According to recorded circumstances as reported by Honor States, Morrisey, "died through hostile action, artillery rocket mortar" ("Thomas J Morrisey" Honor States). What this means is that the specific details of Morrisey's death are unknown, but enough information has been gathered to have a reasonable idea of what happened. It appears as though Morrisey died as the result of some type of explosive blast from either a mortar or rocket, presumably in battle. This is a brutal way to die, but it is the sad reality of how many soldiers were killed from both sides in the Vietnam War. Morrisey died on June 5, 1968, a mere seven months since beginning his first tour with the marines. He was still only nineteen years old, younger than many of the other casualties the United States sustained. Morrisey died in battle at the Loon Vietnam Salient 8 km landing zone in Sse Khe Sanh, South Vietnam, Quang Tri province. This means that he likely died as the result of an attack rather than while he was attacking others because he was in US-backed South Vietnam. The death of Thomas Morrisey is a tragic event, and it should be remembered as a moment that America lost one of its most dedicated and courageous heroes.