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| Sgt. Arizona Harris was the top turret gunner of the B-17 Sons of Fury. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56290467 https://www.pinterest.com/pin/475481673140153941/ |
Arizona Harris never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
He was born on September 21, 1918 in Arizona (not a surprise). His parents Charles and Ethel were born in Kansas and Arizona, respectively. His father worked as a farm laborer. Arizona had two older brothers, one older sister and two younger brothers. By 1940 Arizona had completed four years of high school and moved to Riverside, California where he worked as a supply clerk.
Arizona volunteered for the Army Air Forces and became a technical sergeant with the position of engineer / top turret gunner in the 369th Bombardment Squadron, 306th Bombardment Group, Eighth Air Force, which was equipped with B-17 Flying Fortresses.
On January 3, 1943 Sgt. Harris's plane, Sons of Fury, completed a mission to bomb the submarine pens at Lorient, France where it was damaged by flak. The plane was then shot up by FW-190s and started going down in the Bay of Biscay. Four men were able to parachute from the plane. Sons of Fury made a perfect belly landing in the cold winter waters. Harris noticed the pilot and copilot in the water were attracting the attention of strafing German fighters. Rather than exit the sinking plane while he had time, Sgt. Harris stayed at his guns firing at the enemy to keep them away from the others in the crew. His guns kept firing until the B-17 sunk below the surface. None of the crew survived.
Sgt. Harris was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. His citation reads as follows:
A large force of enemy fighter planes then concentrated their attacks on this lone airplane, finally driving it to a crash landing in the sea. Throughout the descent, and as the airplane disappeared beneath the waves, Sergeant Harris was seen to be still firing his guns at the enemy airplanes.
The dogged determination to fight against all odds and sheer bravery displayed by Sergeant Harris upon this occasion upholds the highest traditions of the armed forces of the United States.
Thank you Sgt. Harris for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for Arizona.
Last year on this date I profiled B-17 engineer/gunner Albert Beyke. You can read about Albert here.
On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!
I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.
Follow on Twitter @ww2fallen100
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100
Sgt. Harris is remember on the Tablet of the Missing at Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial in Coton, England.
Last year on this date I profiled B-17 engineer/gunner Albert Beyke. You can read about Albert here.
On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!
I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100
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