Marine Corps honors Cape Girardeau native

A Cape Girardeau Marine earned his company’s “Iron Man” award in basic training — the top physical fitness honor for an individual Marine during basic training.

Pvt. 1st Class Zach Morningstar, who graduated basic training with the Marine Corps on April 10, earned the company’s top honor, which encompasses all aspects of training, including physical and mental fitness. The Marine company included nearly 500 troops.

Morningstar served as a squad leader during basic training, is now in advanced training and is on schedule to finish next month.

Morningstar, who plans to serve in a non-infantry position in the Corps, focused on physical fitness before entering the Corps.

“He was very determined to be in the best physical shape when he arrived at boot camp and his hard work paid off,” his mother wrote in an email.

Morningstar is the son of Alison Kitchen Moorman and Shawn and Laura Morningstar, all of Cape Girardeau.

Shawn Morningstar also served in the Marine Corps, attending training at the same locations his son is at now. Those locations are being withheld for operational security purposes.