World War II Photographer

By Adair Olney

Clifford Morton

July 22, 1918 - April 4, 1987

Cliff in his Navy uniform. (Photo courtesy of Scot Morton)

A lifelong Colorado resident, Clifford “Cliff” Morton was born on July 22, 1918 in Denver, Colorado to Marvin and Nina Morton.[1] Cliff was raised in the Highlands neighborhood of North Denver, which at the time was nicknamed “Little Italy” due to the large Italian population that resided there. Cliff had a paper route as a kid. One anecdote from his childhood that his son, Scot, recalls was that Cliff’s older brother once accidentally shot him with a 22 rifle. They decided never to tell their parents and Cliff had the bullet in his stomach for the rest of his life – he often had people feel the bullet for fun. Despite this incident, Cliff looked up to his older brother and they always maintained a close relationship. Their father worked as a mechanic for railroads and the elegant restaurant “Chophouse” was once his father’s place of work. Clifford had English and Scottish ancestors who eventually made their way to Colorado by way of Missouri.[2]

While attending North High School in Denver, Cliff became very interested in photography, and even had one of his own photos featured in the Denver Post as a teenager. He graduated from North High School in 1936 before taking on a few different jobs in the downtown Denver area. One of these jobs required Clifford to ride his bicycle all around Denver making deliveries; he used to tell his son Scot how much he enjoyed dodging between the street cars, as he made any ordinary day an adventure.[3]

While Cliff’s family was not particularly religious, he became a devout Christian during his early teenage years and he leaned on his steadfast faith for the rest of his life, particularly during his service in World War Two. While fighting in World War Two, his crew nicknamed him “deacon,” as he often preached to the other men. His faith got him through the war.[4]

When World War Two broke out, Cliff did not hesitate to volunteer to serve his country. His son recalls that he “was very patriotic” and “wanted to serve.” Especially after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Cliff felt “an imperative” to fight and win. Cliff was always drawn to the Navy, as he imagined that it would make a very exciting career. Growing up in land-locked Denver, it was a great adventure and brand new experience for him to join this particular branch of the U.S. military.[5]

Cliff and his wife Lila “Lee” Morton. (Photo courtesy of Scot Morton)

Before he was sent to training for the Navy, Cliff met his future bride and mother of his children, Lila Lee, while they were both working at a coffee company in downtown Denver. Also a Colorado native, Lila grew up in a small town by the name of Elizabeth. Cliff’s future wife was actually engaged before the two met; her fiancé Forrest was a fighter pilot who was killed during active duty right after Lila and Cliff met. Cliff “always thought she was great” and eventually “swooned her.” Much like the movies, they were married in 1942 before Cliff began his Navy pilot training in San Diego, California. Watching her new husband fly in airplanes during World War Two was extremely difficult for Lila, as she had already lost her late fiancé this way. A big naval center, San Diego became home to the young couple during their first few years of marriage. While her husband was off at boot camp or completing missions in the Pacific Theater, Lila stayed with a family, for whom she was “very grateful,” while working at a coffee shop.[6]

Cliff Morton taking photographs aboard his plane. (Photo courtesy of Scot Morton)

Cliff was part of a reconnaissance unit that had a main base in Hawaii while fighting in the Pacific Theater, but they ultimately made many bases all around islands in the Pacific while they fought the Japanese. As part of a flight crew aboard a PB4Y plane, his son Scot says that Cliff was “everywhere in the Pacific,” island hopping between Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima, directly after U.S marines took the island after long and bloody battle. Using his photography talents from when he was young, Cliff became a successful naval photographer in the U.S military. One photo his son shared depicts Cliff leaning out of a window of a PB4Y, capturing scenes below with a giant camera and a 55-caliber machine gun right next to him; the image perfectly encapsulates the multitude of service Clifford completed. Morton and his unique team were also remarkably brave as they completed these dangerous missions without an escort. If they were under attack, Cliff would have to take a pause from his photography and turn to his immediate left and start firing the machine gun. The extraordinary images Cliff took were integral to the war effort, as once he completed a reconnaissance mission, officers would use his developed pictures to plan their next mission.[7]

The plane closest to the viewer is Cliff’s plane, flying somewhere over the Pacific. Cliff can be seen in the back window, to the upper left of the star, taking pictures with his camera. (Photo courtesy of Scot Morton)

Some of the most striking photos Cliff took are those that display scenes of the island of Iwo Jima post-battle. He and his crew really did witness eerie scenes of Japanese destruction and American triumph during their time island-hopping in the Pacific. One of the most heartbreaking photos, however, is a picture that Cliff captured of a military cemetery of dogs that had been killed in action; Cliff was able to capture two soldiers looking solemnly over the small graves of six dogs. As well as top-secret military scenes, Cliff’s photos also captured everyday scenes of life as young soldiers, and the bond between the crew is tangible in these photos.[8]

Cliff Morton’s crew. (Photo courtesy of Scot Morton)

Mr. Morton was said to have most enjoyed the camaraderie among his fellow soldiers during his time in World War Two, and many of them stayed lifelong friends after their service. Scot Morton claims his father always mentioned the “great times they shared,” as well as the “strong bond they built” with one another. Their crew would always exchange Christmas cards with one another as they each grew older with their families.[9] In particular, the pilot of Cliff’s plane, Harvey Paige, always remained an extremely important person throughout his life. Cliff “thought so much of Harvey” that he gave one of his son’s the middle Paige after his beloved captain. After both Cliff and Harvey had passed, their widowed wives were able to meet when Mrs. Paige and her daughter flew to Denver. Scot, Cliff’s son, was also able to meet with his father’s old friend.[10]

In 1945 Cliff and Lila had their first son, David, whom Scot calls “one of the first baby-boomers.” Their daughter Kate came next, followed by Doug, Rebecca, and finally Scot.[11]

Cliff studied Theology at Rocky Mountain College and later became a Baptist minister. In order to pay for his schooling and support his growing family, he opened up a successful photography business in Denver as well. Cliff stopped working as a minister and began selling cookware, or, as his son jokes, “he stopped selling Jesus and began selling more tangible stuff.” Once in a while, though, he would preach at Salvation Army a few Sundays a year, and religion remained a big part of his family’s life. At the time, Mrs. Morton went back to work at Fort Logan Mental Health Center; as a minister’s wife, she was used to doing counseling and eventually made a career out of it. Service always remained a big part of the Mortons' lives.[12]

The pilot and co-pilot of Clifford’s plane. The man pictured on the right is Harvey Paige, one of Cliff’s greatest mentors and friends during his service, for whom he named one of his son’s. (Photo courtesy of Scot Morton.)

While Cliff looked back on his military service during World War Two with pride, there were moments that he did not talk about, such as his comrades’ planes being shot down. His son says that “seeing his brothers die was the tough part.” Laughing, Scot also remembers his dad disliking “the giant rats” that were on some of these islands. Nevertheless, he loved the “camaraderie,” “adrenaline” and, of course, friendship. Upon his return to Denver, Cliff had “tremendous pride” and patriotism for his country, much like many other American servicemen of the time. He received an Air Medal for his duty in serving 26 flight missions.[13]

Scot Morton remembers his dad as a lifelong adrenaline seeker who went on to get his pilot’s license after his service, as flying remained a passion of his. Living with his young family in Salida, Colorado, Cliff used to fly a small plane up in the mountains, loving to “catch the updraft of the mountains” and fly back down on the downdraft.[14]

One thing that Scot and his father shared, more than his other siblings, was a sense of adventure. Cliff was always eager to attend military air shows where he would “act like a little kid,” filled with excitement. Cliff used to talk about “how cool it would be” if he was ever able to take Scot up in the sky in a B-24, the plane he once flew in World War Two. Scot looks back with pride and happiness on a fond memory he has after getting to fly in a B-24 plane about eight years ago. As a present from his wife and daughter, Scot was able to have the extraordinary experience of flying in the very last B-24 plane in the entire world. One photo Scot shared shows him sitting right in the bomber panel of the plane where his dad once sat in the 1940s. Cliff’s son tearfully calls this experience “one of the biggest thrills” of his life and “very emotional,” as he was able to relive the experience his cherished father once had. Scot even wore his dad’s original pilot jacket from when he served in World War Two, that “smells like World War Two.” Also aboard this flight was a 90-year-old World War Two veteran who served as a pilot in Europe; he flew a B-24 plane as well.[15]

Cliff guarded the photos he took in World War Two, as they were very precious to him. He always greatly enjoyed sharing his experiences with Scot, and did not share with many other people besides his youngest son. Mr. Morton always loved marching music and Scot remembers his father teaching him how to march in the kitchen as a toddler. Memorial Day was a “special day” for him, although very solemn, too, and he always flew the flag with pride on every U.S holiday. His patriotism is one of the beliefs he passed down to his children, his son says. Though while he loved movies and books about World War Two, some of them were very disturbing to him, as his son believes he suffered from some PTSD later in life.[16]

Scot says his father had three different facets: a love for learning and reading, a love for Christianity and being a minister, and his love for adventure and adrenaline. Cliff is remembered by his children as “fun-loving,” a teller of “corny jokes,” and “very encouraging”; his youngest son says he always wanted to make everyone around him feel good. One of his jokes was “Hi, I’m Cliff, drop over sometime!” He instilled in his children that they could be anything or anyone they wanted to be, and could do anything with their lives. Cliff would attend every single one of his children’s events: from football games to race car drives, he was present, eager to take pictures with his camera. When asked to sum up his personality, his son Scot says that one simply “felt better after talking to him.” His dedication to his family, marriage, career, is a trait many have admired about him; “he was all in,” says his son.[17]

Cliff retired at the age of 65, and shortly thereafter, passed away at the age of 68. He enjoyed his retirement, which consisted of tinkering around in the garden and traveling with his wife. Cliff suffered a series of strokes which eventually led to the too-early end of his remarkable life, says Scot. Cliff and Lila shared five children and an amazing life together. His memory lives on through his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who remember the extraordinary man who “thoroughly enjoyed the military” and “was so honored to serve his country.”[18]