About
Morris Righthand, the son of Ben and Nellie Righthand, was born on March 8, 1916, in Albany, New York. He graduated from Mont Pleasant High School in 1932 and Union College in 1936. Morris was a watchmaker before entering the military.
On January 16, 1943, Morris enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps. He received his basic training at San Antonio Cadet Center, Texas, and then attended a bombardier and navigating school in Texas. He held the rank of Second Lieutenant and served with the 421st Base Unit. On May 5, 1944, Morris died when his B-24 failed to make a turn shortly after takeoff, only six miles distant (other versions of the story say there was a fuel problem), forcing the bomber to crash onto Puu Nau ridge near Aiea in Hawaii during the war. The entire crew died on this flight. He is buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Hawaii.
Sources: The Schenectady Gazette, Find A Grave, Ancestry