Who is Ed Morris from Red Storm Rising and what is their importance?

Ed Morris is the Commander of the USS Pharris. He is caught in a bad situation and finds the Pharris targeted by an enemy torpedo. There is no way for him to evade the attack, and his ship is badly damaged. The immediate efforts of Morris's men, however, save the ship from sinking. Morris expects to remain ashore during the remainder of the war, but he is soon sent out to take over command of the Rueben James when its captain becomes ill.