Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Holden McGroin on June 23, 2005, 12:50:14 PM
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We are having a dedication ceremony at our local Veteran's Park mid afternoon Friday.
Lieutenant Colonel Bill Harris
Bill Harris served four years in the Navy before joining the Army Air Forces. He received his wings and commission as a second lieutenant at Luke Field, Arizona on 30 October 1942 and assigned to the 339th Fighter Squadron, 347th Fighter Group.
Based in New Caledonia, the group sent detachments to Guadalcanal to escort bombers and attack Japanese bases on New Georgia, Bougainville and the Russell Islands.
Flying a P-38G, Harris scored his first victory on 7 June 1943 by destroying two Zeros over the Russells. On the 16th Harris shot down two Zeros over Guadalcanal during a noontime attack by the Japanese. On 4 October he claimed a Zero on a B-24 escort to Kahili to become an ace. After downing a Zero three days later, on the 10th he was credited with two Zeros on a morning mission to Kahili and that afternoon downed one Zeke confirmed and shared a probable.
Promoted to captain, in 27 October Harris became a double ace when he destroyed a Japanese dive-bomber over Treasury Island. Flying out of the Treasury Islands on 9 February 1944, Harris was credited with three Zeros on a sweep over the Admiralties, followed by another pair of Zekes over Vanakanau Airstrip on the 15th.
Promoted to lieutenant colonel, Harris was sent to the Philippines to command the 18th Fighter Group in the spring of 1945. On 22 June he downed an Oscar over Mandai Airdrome to become the top P-38 ace in the Thirteenth Air Force. Tally Record: 16 confirmed
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That is just awesome Holden.
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Let go of your groin first. :rolleyes:
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Originally posted by Skuzzy
That is just awesome Holden.
His avatartd or the post?
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I'm envious.
to that gentleman.
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If you can find a way through cognizant osmosis, thank him for me!
Folks like that wont be around much longer.
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holden , tell him we all said high.
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Wow, what a great pilot! Give him a huge
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Pretty cool. We named on of our boats after him, and had the commanding officer of Kingsley Feild read the paragraph I first posted.
When you think of heros, you think of someone bigger than life, but I watched this 89 year old man christen our club's new boat, and he was maybe 5' 6" and 140 lbs.
He is one of these guys who I might be behind in the line at the supermarket and get silently frustrated because he's looking through his loose change to pay for groceries.
No John Wayne persona, just a regular guy.
After meeting this man, it makes me take an extra look around and wonder what other heroes are among us.
Biggest 5-6 140# man I ever met.
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Oh yeah, I asked him why he changed services from the Navy to the AAF.
He told me, "I wanted to fly, but I didn't want to fly over water, so I joined the AAF. Then the sent me to the Phillipines."
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Rgr that Holden...I always try to treat old folks with patience and respect. For all I know he did stuff I dont have the guts to dream about.
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Nice one, Holden.
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Originally posted by Holden McGroin
Pretty cool. We named on of our boats after him, and had the commanding officer of Kingsley Feild read the paragraph I first posted.
When you think of heros, you think of someone bigger than life, but I watched this 89 year old man christen our club's new boat, and he was maybe 5' 6" and 140 lbs.
He is one of these guys who I might be behind in the line at the supermarket and get silently frustrated because he's looking through his loose change to pay for groceries.
No John Wayne persona, just a regular guy.
After meeting this man, it makes me take an extra look around and wonder what other heroes are among us.
Biggest 5-6 140# man I ever met.
Way too cool. I know that feeling about them being bigger then life. When I was chasing Spit XII pilots and finally got to meet a bunch in England, I was surprised that at 5'10" I was taller then all of them. And like you I found them to be about the classiest people I'd ever met.
Dan/CorkJr
Image of Col Harris in his 38 later in the war.
(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/810_1119943011_harris.jpg)
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Sounds great Holden :)
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Originally posted by Guppy35
Way too cool. I know that feeling about them being bigger then life. When I was chasing Spit XII pilots and finally got to meet a bunch in England, I was surprised that at 5'10" I was taller then all of them. And like you I found them to be about the classiest people I'd ever met.
Dan/CorkJr
Image of Col Harris in his 38 later in the war.
You sure that's him? I searched a lot before I met him, to get his fighter group number, AF number rank and commendations, but found out just the bare minimum.
The Air base got me more, but I have no WW2 photos save your post. if your sure, it's a gem. Where/ how did you find it?
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Guppy (Dan) is the god of this stuff. I think his house is made of WWII books.
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He's got quite an extensive collection of WWII aircraft/pilot photos. Ask and Im pretty sure he's got at least one photo of it.
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I've gone to several museums and I've always been struck at the sizes of some hero's uniform. You have to remember that it's not the physical size of the person, but the size of the heroism of the person that matters.
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Originally posted by Holden McGroin
You sure that's him? I searched a lot before I met him, to get his fighter group number, AF number rank and commendations, but found out just the bare minimum.
The Air base got me more, but I have no WW2 photos save your post. if your sure, it's a gem. Where/ how did you find it?
Photo was found in John Stanaway's book "Peter Three-Eight". The photo is credited to Bill Harris, so I'm guessing it's him :)
A couple others from the same book. The group photo is also found in Osprey's book P-38 Aces of the Pacific and CBI, also by John Stanaway.
Harris is front left in the group photo. The other image is of one of his P38s
Dan/CorkyJr
(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/810_1119973709_harris3.jpg)
(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/810_1119973729_harris38.jpg)
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Harris is a rancher, had 3000 beef at one time "bar-OX" is his brand, hence the nose art.
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Now THAT'S cheap international advertising.