WILLIAM L. HARRIS, JR., LT, USN

William Harris, Jr. '49

Date of birth: May 9, 1927

Date of death: February 2, 1958

Age: 30

Lucky Bag

From the 1949 Lucky Bag:

William L. Harris, Jr.

Juneau, Alaska

Sure it gets cold in Maryland, but no matter how bitter the winds brew on the banks of the Severn, there was always one guy who didn't care about "collars up." Bill's hometown, Juneau, Alaska, never gets cold either, so he said. There was actually a better answer to why this Texas born Alaskan never gets cold—he just never slowed down long enough to feel what's going on around him. There was probably no other member of this class who had more irons in the fire at the Academy than Bill. Most of his non-academic interests, however, were connected in one way or another with his camera, and with it he won the post of the LOG Photo Editor for two years. When not taking pics of some athletic team or Drag of the Week, Bill could be found behind a baritone horn in the Concert Band or gadgettinkering in his room.

William L. Harris, Jr.

Juneau, Alaska

Sure it gets cold in Maryland, but no matter how bitter the winds brew on the banks of the Severn, there was always one guy who didn't care about "collars up." Bill's hometown, Juneau, Alaska, never gets cold either, so he said. There was actually a better answer to why this Texas born Alaskan never gets cold—he just never slowed down long enough to feel what's going on around him. There was probably no other member of this class who had more irons in the fire at the Academy than Bill. Most of his non-academic interests, however, were connected in one way or another with his camera, and with it he won the post of the LOG Photo Editor for two years. When not taking pics of some athletic team or Drag of the Week, Bill could be found behind a baritone horn in the Concert Band or gadgettinkering in his room.

Loss

William was lost on February 2, 1958, when the aircraft he was aboard crashed in northeastern Tennessee. The other officer aboard was also lost; it took several days for the wreckage to be located.

"He was attached to the Naval Air Technical Training Center at Memphis, Tennessee. His last duty station before this was at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California… He is survived by his wife, Mary Louise…" (Information from April 1958 issue of Shipmate.)

He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. His middle name was Luther.

(1949's class history says he died in an air crash in Alabama.)

Korean War Service

From the Aviation Geek Club:

Lieutenant William L. Harris, Jr., on his first combat mission, made a dive-bombing run on a hydroelectric plant north of Hungnam. He didn’t realize he’d been hit until he returned to the ship. Maintenance personnel found fragments of concrete in the cowling and wings, verifying the accuracy of his bomb drops. Harris earned the nickname “Cement Mixer.”

Memorial Hall Error

William's rank is given as Lieutenant in the Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps of 1957, as well as in the Register of Alumni and the April 1958 issue of Shipmate. Memorial Hall has LTJG.

Class of 1949

William is one of 40 members of the Class of 1949 on Virtual Memorial Hall.