By ISABELLE FITZGIBBON ‘22

On Wednesday, November 13th, Milton Academy welcomed back Captain Nicholas Morton ’02 to speak about his experiences as a member of the US Military. Currently a captain in the U.S. Army, Morton was a sergeant from 2004 to 2007, a first lieutenant from 2011 to 2014, and has been a captain since 2016. Morton has received the Bronze Star and the Meritorious Service Medal. Along with his time serving in the U.S. Army, Morton earned his Bachelor's Degree in finance and his Master’s Degree in organizational leadership. He expects to graduate from Harvard Kennedy School in May 2020 with a Master’s Degree in public administration.

Morton’s decision to enlist came in March 2002, shortly after the 9/11 attacks. Following the attacks, Morton decided he wanted to become a part of something bigger. Since enlisting just before his graduation from Milton in 2002, Morton has been deployed once to Iraq and twice to Afghanistan. Morton’s time in Baghdad, Iraq from 2004 to 2005 was his first deployment, and he shared this experience as one of the most transformative in his life.

In 2011, Morton was deployed to Afghanistan and led a group into an area with a mission to clear the land for better visibility. With a full team, including medical personnel and engineers, Morton had to navigate land dotted with Improvised Explosive Devices, or IEDs. Despite being extremely careful, Morton lost fellow soldiers PFC Colvin and Staff Sergeant Berry to IED explosions. As the leader in this situation, Morton questioned whether he should honor PFC Colvin and Staff Sergeant Berry by retrieving their remains or ensure the safety of others and not ask them to continue searching in the IED-covered terrain.

In response to questions from students, Morton discussed some of the most challenging aspects of serving in the army as well as the most rewarding. Some of his favorite memories include coming home after not seeing family for months. Morton also talked about conquering his fear of heights by jumping from a 34-foot tower alongside some of his closest friends. In addition to these memories, Morton expressed that some of his most transformative experiences in the Army include being deployed for the first time and being shot at for the first time. For Morton, the first time being deployed was worse than expected, as there were many things that he could not have imagined ever happening. In addition, Morton expressed that, contrary to what many might assume, not all veterans are heroes, and he has worked with people whom he would not consider heroes.

Many students came away from the presentation with new views on military service. Hearing stories such as the one involving PFC Colvin and Staff Sergeant Berry was shocking to some students, but they felt that it was important in informing their view of the Army. Molly Isaac ’23 was surprised to hear such a sad story but also felt that it gave her a better understanding of the sacrifices people make for the safety of others. While Morton became more serious in recounting this experience, he did incorporate humor into much of his presentation. While recognizing that some people use humor to cope with difficult situations, Kayla Mathieu ’21 initially found Morton’s humor off-putting in stories of life and death. In addition, Mathieu had never heard a veteran or member of the military express the opinion that not all veterans are heroes, and it is an opinion that changed her view of veterans.

Morton’s presentation brought humor and engaged the audience while addressing serious topics. Through his presentation, Morton educated the community, compelling us to consider the challenges facing veterans and the sacrifices they make. The experiences that Morton shared brought new perspectives to the community on war and veterans.

Veterans Day Assembly