Sergeant. Joe Harris lived a beautiful life.
He sailed towards Earth on many missions on his 555th mission, known as the “Triple Nickels,” as a member of the US Army’s first black sky tro squadron battalion during World War II.
At the funeral on Saturday, friends, family and members of the army in military uniforms danced and sang to honor Harris, who was believed to be the oldest veteran of the Sky Tro unit when he died on March 15th.
Cynthia Baren, part of an organization involved in the history of the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, will applaud along with music at the World War II veteran Joe Harris’ service ceremony held Saturday at Lewis Metropolitan Connect Church.
He was 108 years old.
“He was a kind, caring, caring man,” his daughter Tanya Pittman told The Times. “He didn’t let him fight for the freedom to stop him from living his life in a time of isolation.”
Born in Westdale, Louisiana on June 19, 1916, Harris died at Los Angeles Hospital, surrounded by his family. He rested on Saturday at Lewis Metropolitan CME Church.
Many people cried, but they also laughed as the service felt like homecoming.
His grandson, Ashton Pittman, thanked all the grandfathers he sacrificed.
“He was our rock and the foundation upon which a generation was built,” he said.
Joe Harris’ grandson, Ashton Pittman, has the jacket and boots given to him by the organizers of former and active Paratrouse groups during Harris’s service ceremony on Saturday.
Harris received full military honor and was buried at Inglewood Park Cemetery.
His funeral included the escort of the Willis Jeep of World War II, and military aircraft flew around Harris’s home in Compton, where he lived for over 60 years.
Compton Mayor Emma Sharif has announced that the city is exploring plans to rename the streets after Harris.
Members of the U.S. National Forest Service and veterans from various branches of the military dressed in World War I uniforms.
They included a retired US Army Sgt. I first met Harris a few years ago, attended a commemorative event, and took part in a parachute jump in honor of Triple Nickle.
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1. Pirates Joe Harris Sr. is supported by friends and relatives as he sees his father’s body at a service ceremony. 2. Attendees will hold a programme commemorating Joe Harris. (David Butow/For the Times) 3. Members will move Joe Harris’ cas outside the Lewis Metropolitan Cne church.
“Holy smoking, man, he paved the way for people like me,” Garrison said. “I feel it in my mind and it gets a little emotional. He sacrificed so much because he wasn’t supposed to be anything but a steward, cook, or barrett.
La Tanha Pittman said his father is skilled as an air tro force, but he wanted to be a pilot while in the army.
“They wouldn’t even have him,” she said. “But he still continued to serve his country.”
As a member of “Triple Nickle,” Harris was part of a battle-ready unit, but the Air Tro tros were not sent overseas. Instead, they trained as part of America’s first “smoke jumpers.”
They were tasked with parachute into forests in the Pacific Northwest to combat wildfires fires fired by Japanese balloon bombs fired from across the Pacific into North America.
A very secret mission, Operation Fireflies watched smoke jumpers launch wildfires and disarm the downed explosives.
cpl. Philadelphia and Sergeant Elijah H. Wesby. Roger S. Walden of Detroit is currently jumping training with the US Army 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion during training exercises at FT. 1944, Benning, Georgia.
They were stationed in Pendleton, Oregon and Chico, California, responding to 36 fires and making 1,200 jumps.
The main reason the operation was kept secret was to limit the arrival of news about balloon bombs that arrived in North America, said Matt Shelinger, the Army Historic Foundation’s chief historian.
Six people died near Brie, Oregon, but when the balloon fell in May 1945 was discovered, the overall damage from the weapon was limited.
“The balloons didn’t function as the Japanese intended,” Sheilinger said.
Harris documented the veteran’s story, “I did 72 successful jumps while he was with the Army.
The SmokeJumpers were equipped with Wildland fire equipment, including a soccer-style leather helmet with a grille before and other tools.
After his honorable discharge, Harris purchased a home in Compton, and had three children with his high school boyfriend Louise Singleton Harris. He continued to work for the US Border Patrol for nearly 40 years.
Omar Bradley, former Compton mayor, grew up next to the Harris family, danced in Harris’ living room next to a large radio console when he was three or four years old.
“What he liked was to invite me to dance in front of his peers,” Bradley said. “But if he really wanted me to turn it on, he would throw $1 and laugh at me, I laughed at the whole house, his wife, his kids, everyone – and I’m laughing because I started splitting.”
Harris was his father figure and was a certain equipment in the Compton community.
“He was stubborn, devoted and unshakable,” Bradley said. “A true American.”
Neil Gallagher, a US Marine Corps veteran and former Wildland firefighter, felt honored to visit Harris from his home in January.
He and two other veterans presented Harris with Pulaski, wildfire tools used to build fires, and an empty troya patch.
Active and retired US military airpara pays homage to World War II veteran Joe Harris during his burial at Inglewood Park Cemetery on Saturday.
“They fought fascism and then racism,” said Gallagher, founder of the oral history nonprofit.
“Our country has an obligation to ensure that heroes like Mr. Harris will never be forgotten, and that starts with offering units like the 555th,” he said.
Harris was preceded in 1981 by his wife and one grandson.
Harris was survived by two daughters, one son, four grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren.
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