Bill Morse from Marietta, Ga., joined the United States Navy in September 1968. He served aboard the USS Prichett (DD561) completing a 6 month deployment to Vietnam. Bill then transferred to the USS Rogers (DD876) and completed three 6 month tours to Vietnam. While on active duty, he played a lot of pool on base. Bill then returned to civilian life in 1978.
In October 1982, Bill returned to the Navy where he became a certified instructor. He served on several ships as an engineering instructor. Aboard the USS Fox (CG33), Bill participated in Desert Shield and Desert Storm—aboard the USS Constellation (CV-64) he was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal for heroic efforts during a fire that was caused by exploding jet fuel. The explosion caused fires on over 15 levels (decks) of the ship and burned for almost 12 hours. There were no deaths or serious injuries as a result of this fire. In October 1992, Bill retired from active duty as a surface warfare qualified Chief Petty Officer.
In 1994 Bill joined the APA while living in Miami, Fla. He met some friends in a sports bar where he played darts, and they asked him to join the League. He later moved to Atlanta, Ga., and joined APA-Atlanta. In 2007, Bill qualified for APA’s National Referee Program and has refereed at the National Team Championships 2007-2010. His current skill level is a 7 in both 8-Ball and 9-Ball. As an APA member, Bill most enjoys meeting new people and making new friends.