James Harris
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Navy
James Duke Harris enlisted in the Naval Reserve, Duluth, Minnesota January, 1940.
He was called to active duty aboard the USS Paducah (PG-18), and sailed to Brooklyn Navy Yard.
He was discharged and reenlisted in the Regular Navy January 19, 1943. He served aboard the duly commissioned destroyer escort USS Gilmore (DE 18), Philadelphia, and escorted merchant service ships from San Francisco to Hawaii and patrolled the Aleutian Islands within Bearing Sea.
He transferred to USS Alaska (CB-1) in 1944 at Camden, N.J. He had two excursions to bombard Japanese islands in the Pacific, and he escorted the aircraft carrier USS Franklin.
“Alaska’s combat duty consisted solely in operating with fast carrier task forces.” He states: "Our score: five enemy planes shot down."
He was honorably discharged Nov. 7, 1945 from USS Alaska.
Source: Hometown Heroes: The St. Louis County World War II Project. 103.
