VERSAILLES – The Fort GreeneVille Daughters of the American Revolution, family and friends gathered for the Staff Sergeant Gene Francis Morrison (1939-1968) Memorial Bridge dedication held on June 21, 2025, at the Versailles K of C Hall.
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The Indian Creek Bridge, located on St. Rt. 47, was dedicated to fallen Darke County, Ohio, Vietnam War hero, Gene F. Morrison, who died in action on June 3, 1968. State Representative Angie King of Ohio District 84 presented legislation to honor Morrison. House Bill 81 was passed and signed by Governor DeWine in December 2024. The Indian Creek Bridge, located on St. Rt. 47, is near Versailles’ city limits.
SSGT Morrison is the son of Wilbur (Bill) and Margaret Morrison and the husband of Shirley Morrison Carter. Siblings include: Judy Morrison Coffield, W.R. Morrison Jr. (dec.), and children: Todd Morrison, Cynthia Morrison Calhoun, and Scott Morrison.
“Fort GreeneVille Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution, a United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration Commemorative Partner, would like to express our condolences to the family of Gene Francis Morrison,” said DAR Regent Debbie Nisonger. “It has been a long time coming in honoring Staff Sergeant Morrison for the ultimate sacrifice he made to his country.”
Gene Francis Morrison was born on May 29, 1939, Versailles and was a 1958 graduate of Versailles High School. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps right after graduation in 1958 and began his Vietnam tour on October 27, 1967. Morrison served with the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team at Dong Ha Marine Combat Base, located in Vietnam’s I Corps, near the DMZ with the rank of Staff Sergeant. During his service in the Vietnam War, he was gravely wounded on May 26, 1968, in South Vietnam, Quang Tri province, and succumbed to injuries on June 3, 1968. He is buried at Mobile National Cemetery, Mobile, Alabama.
Morrison’s heroic actions earned him the Purple Heart Award. His family was given his honors, which also include: Good Conduct, Marksmanship, Vietnam Service, National Defense Service, Republic of Vietnam Campaign, Air Ground Team Marine Amphibious Force Explosive Ordinance.
Ohio House Bill 81 was signed by Governor Mike DeWine on December 19, 2024, naming the bridge in honor of SSGT Gene Francis Morrison.
“Fort GreeneVille DAR is honored to be a part of this memorial bridge dedication journey that the family bestowed upon us,” Nisonger stated. “We are truly honored. This is a dedication that we proudly instill upon our community to remember and never to forget those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our Nation.”
“On behalf of a grateful Nation and the Department of Defense, we are proud to recognize and honor your loved one, you, and your family for the sacrifices made in the name of freedom and democracy over the years,” added Nisonger. “Thank you for your example of grace, dignity, and courage. Our Nation is forever indebted to you and extends its deepest respect and admiration.”
Mr. Jim Buchy served as Master of Ceremonies for the day’s event.
“We are so lucky to be Americans because of all the people before us, going back to 1776 who have made the commitment to do what is necessary to keep us free, and that means the ultimate sacrifice, I’ll give my life so that we can have meetings like today,” Buchy said. “Debbie Nisonger leads the Fort GreeneVille Chapter of DAR in making sure that the public learns more about our Veterans. The more people know, the better it gets.”
Cynthia Morrison Calhoun, the daughter of SSGT Gene Morrison, was two years old at the time of his death; she recently wrote a poem titled ‘The Father They Never Knew’, which she recited at the June 21, 2025, Memorial Bridge dedication ceremony.
“The Father They Never Knew”
He left when they were much too small—
A war called Vietnam took all.
His daughter barely turned age two,
One son just crawling, new and blue.
The other toddled, wide-eyed, brave,
Too young to grasp the gift he gave.
His kiss was pressed on cheeks so round,
His hopes tucked deep in battlegrounds.
So young they lost him—far away,
Just days before his homebound day.
His picture framed, his medals bright,
Hung in a shadow box of light.
A silent place their eyes would go,
To feel the man they’d never know.
He missed the games, the bruises, falls,
The echo in the backyard calls.
He never saw them play or run,
Or watched his boys grow into men.
No guiding voice, no bedtime tales,
No cheers from bleachers, wins or fails.
Yet in their faces, he lives on—
His smile, his brow, the way they yawn.
But not his voice, not stories shared—
Just quiet space where love was spared.
They built him up from what was said,
A hero shaped from tears unshed.
She placed him high, where legends stay,
Though time had stolen him away.
No memory of “Daddy’s girl,”
Yet still she gave that dream a world.
And when she wore her wedding white,
She felt him there, just out of sight—
A phantom strength, a steady guide,
Who walked in silence at her side.
In trials deep, when courage fled,
They reached for words he might have said.
And somehow found him in their hearts,
A quiet fire that never parts.
In stories told and photos worn,
They pieced him back from what was torn.
They searched in stories, voices near,
To bring his presence back, more clear.
A laugh, a habit, turns of phrase—
Faint echoes of their father’s ways.
He died before our hearts could store
His voice, his laugh, the hugs we swore
We must have known—though time erased—
What memory never could replace.
Yet still, he taught us—through his loss—
What courage looks like, what it costs.
He taught us service, honor, grace,
And love that time cannot erase.
A love so deep, it still imparts
Its quiet strength through beating hearts.
Though Vietnam stole years and breath,
It could not conquer love through death.
A father gone, yet always near—
In every step, they feel him here.
Cynthia Morrison Calhoun
2025
