The destroyer USS Morris (DD-417) was the seventh Morris to serve with U.S. naval forces. Built by Norfolk Navy Yard, she was launched on 1 June 1939 and commissioned on 5 March 1940.
The Morris served as flagship DesRon 2 and with the North Atlantic Patrol before World War II. She was upgraded with the first fire-control radar to be installed on a destroyer, and quickly began operations against the Japanese Navy in the Battle of Coral Sea, where she took part in screening duties of the carriers USS Lexington (CV-2) and USS Yorktown (CV-5). Following heavy damage to the Lexington, the Morris provided vital assistance rescuing survivors. During this operation, the Morris herself was damaged. She was back in service the following month in the Battle of Midway, where the Morris rescued survivors from the Yorktown.
Soon after Midway, the Morris joined TF-61 and supported the Guadalcanal operation, where she screened carriers among other duties. On 25 October 1942, the Morris rejoined TF-17 and was active in the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, during which she downed several aircraft and took part in rescuing the damaged carrier Hornet's (CV-2) escaping crew. During this operation, the Morris was hit again but was back in operation sailing with the USS Enterprise (CV-6) and USS Russell (DD-414) after a brief repair at Espiritu Santo.
The Morris supported the capture of the Aleutian Islands Attu and Kiska in May 1943, and returned to San Francisco for an overhaul. The Morris took part in the Gilbert Islands offensive, and in early 1944 she destroyed a Japanese counterattack force while providing fire support off Kwajalein.
In April 1944, as part of the Seventh Fleet, the Morris operated in support of the landings at Hollandia, eventually taking part in all landings in the western New Guineas. In October 1944, the Morris sailed for Leyte Gulf and the invasion of the Philippines, and by early 1945, was operating off Luzon.
Later that year, the Morris joined the Fifth Fleet and prepared for operations around Okinawa. On 6 April 1945, while operating off Kerama Retto, the Morris's bow was demolished in a Japanese suicide attack. Following emergency repairs, she sailed for the United States, arriving in San Francisco on 22 May 1945. Declared unseaworthy as a result of the damage, the Morris was decommissioned on 9 November 1945, stricken from the Naval Register on 28 November, and sold for scrap on 2 August 1947.