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FORT CARSON, Colo. – Kathleen Hornyak, daughter of retired Command Sgt. Maj. Peter R. Morris, the Command Sgt. Maj. of the 4th Infantry Division from 1979-1981, spoke with the 4th Inf. Div. in remembrance of her father at Fort Carson, Feb. 2, 2022. Morris died at the age of 84 in his home in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Jan. 26, 2022.
“He was very passionate, very proud of his military service,” said Hornyak. “After his first term of enlistment, he got out for around 50 days but he couldn’t take it. He missed it so much that he went back on active duty for an additional 26 years.”
Morris left high school early to enter military service at 17. He worked at many duty stations and overseas assignments throughout his career, but Fort Carson is where he and his family made a home.
Hornyak said she was much younger when her father was first stationed at Fort Carson, but one thing she vividly remembers is holidays spent at the Mess Hall.
“It was something we did every single year as a family,” said Hornyak. “He always wanted to be with his guys and girls, his troops.”
Hornyak, and many of her family members, also ended up joining the military. Hornyak joined when she was 21 and served four years on active duty; she said her father’s passion for service to his country just spilled over to her.
“I am extraordinarily proud that our family is a part of 4th Inf. Div. history,” said Hornyak. “I always used to think my dad was super cool. I even used to salute him as a little girl.”
As she got older, Hornyak said she realized what an achievement it was for her father, who came from an impoverished family, to quit school to join the service and have an impressive career.
After retiring, Morris served as Chief of Physical Security for Fort Carson. Hornyak said he never really could leave the Army and the Ivy Division behind.
“The military is a great opportunity for young kids who don’t really have a vision for what they see in their future,” said Hornyak. “It gives a lot of guidance and helps you mature. I know it certainly did for him.”
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| Date Taken: | 02.08.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 02.09.2022 18:58 |
| Story ID: | 414250 |
| Location: | FORT CARSON, COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 78 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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