Our Arklahoma Heritage: Medal of Honor winner and five-time Arkansas Lieutenant Governor hailed from Morrilton

Nathan Green Gordon

In the peaceful setting of Elmwood Cemetery in Morrilton rests  Nathan Green Gordon,, a World War II hero whose courage in the skies and steady leadership on the ground left an enduring mark on Arkansas.

A Medal of Honor recipient and the state’s longest-serving lieutenant governor, Gordon’s life was defined by service, bravery, and a deep connection to his hometown.

Born on September 4, 1916, in Morrilton, Nathan was the second of four children to Edward Gordon Sr., a lawyer and state representative, and Ada Ruth Gordon. From a young age, he showed a knack for rising to challenges.

A standout student, he graduated salutatorian from Columbia Military Academy and excelled in football and baseball at Arkansas Polytechnic College and the University of Arkansas, where he earned his law degree in 1939.

When World War II erupted, Gordon answered the call, enlisting in the U.S. Navy in May 1941. Trained as a naval aviator, he joined Patrol Squadron 34, known as the “Black Cats” for their black-painted PBY Catalina seaplanes used in nighttime operations. Early in the war, Gordon flew anti-submarine patrols from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, protecting Allied convoys from German U-boats.

By 1943, his squadron relocated to the Pacific Theater, operating from bases in Hawaii, Australia, and Samarai Island off New Guinea. Gordon’s defining moment came on February 15, 1944, near Kavieng Harbor in Papua New Guinea.

Responding to distress calls from downed U.S. airmen, he piloted his seaplane, the “Arkansas Traveler,” through heavy Japanese gunfire. In four daring landings on rough seas, he rescued 15 crewmen from B-25 and A-20 aircraft, often overloading his damaged plane to ensure their safety.

His Medal of Honor citation lauded his “exceptional daring, personal valor, and incomparable airmanship under most perilous conditions.” Gordon’s service also earned him two Distinguished Flying Crosses, six Air Medals, and a Presidential Unit Citation.Returning to Morrilton in 1945 after his honorable discharge, Gordon resumed his law practice alongside his brother, Edward Jr.

In 1948, he married Virginia Gordon, his lifelong partner until her passing in 1995. The couple had no children but built a life rooted in community and service.

Gordon’s postwar career turned to politics, where he left an equally significant legacy. Elected lieutenant governor of Arkansas in 1947, he served an unprecedented ten consecutive two-year terms until 1967, working under governors Benjamin Travis Laney, Sid McMath, Francis Cherry, and Orval Faubus.

Known for his calm, pragmatic leadership, Gordon earned bipartisan respect, often acting as governor during absences but avoiding controversial decisions.

During the 1957 Little Rock Central High School desegregation crisis, he chose not to intervene, later explaining, “The lieutenant governor should not act in any matter of real importance except to meet an emergency.”

Gordon passed away on September 8, 2008, at age 92. His Medal of Honor is displayed at the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History in Little Rock, and he was inducted into the Arkansas Aviation Hall of Fame in 1980.

For Arkansans, Nathan Green Gordon remains a symbol of courage and duty--a son of Morrilton who served his country and state with unwavering dedication.