Vietnam veteran's remains brought home to Rowan Co.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The remains of a Vietnam veteran were brought home Thursday to Rowan County.

A procession escorted Chief Master Sgt. Edwin Morgan Senior’s remains from Charlotte Douglas Airport to Rockwell.

Morgan died at 38 on March 13, 1966, in Quang Nam Province, Laos. Morgan was the Loadmaster on a seven-man crew aboard a Douglas AC-47D Spooky Gunship that went down during an armed nighttime mission. Morgan’s remains were just recently identified.

Morgan was a veteran of the United States Navy, Army and Air Force. He was awarded the Purple Heart, the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal posthumously.

His family has spent decades wondering about him and told reporter Tina Terry that the homecoming brings them great closure.  About 100 members of the patriot guard led the procession into Rowan County.

A funeral service will be held Saturday at First Baptist Church in Rockwell.

At @CLTAirport where remains of Vietnam veteran to arrive in minutes. Watch latest @noon @wsoctv pic.twitter.com/722wPOgRvC

— Tina Terry (@TinaTerryWSOC9) June 25, 2015

Morgan’s family members were full of joy to see the outpouring of support.

“It’s good,” said daughter Frances Morris. “This is what we’ve been hoping for so it’s a big celebration.”

She was six years old when her father left for Vietnam.

He was reported MIA in 1966.

Morris and her brother lived with questions about their dad until this year when they learned officials found his remains.

"I always prayed he'd get to come home,” Morris said. “This isn’t the homecoming I thought of but he's still home."

Click here to read the veteran's obituary.

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