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NicoleLively
5/5/15
10thGradeHumanities
JohnHarris:ThePilotWhoKeptGoing
BythattimetheJapanesehadbeensodefeated,itwasntmuchofawaroverthere
anymore.
JohnHarris,aretiredWorldWarIIveteranrecallsthebombingofHiroshimaand
Nagasaki,whichresultedintheendofthewar.Despitethecontroversyoftheatomicbombings,
JohnwasrelievedwhenU.S.presidentHarryS.Trumanlaunchedthebombs.
Itwasthegreatest.
YougottothankGodthatTrumanhadthegutstodropthebombandendthewarthewayhedid.
Hesavedmillionsoflives.
JohnHarriswasborninSanDiegoin1924.AtatimewheretheUSwasinthemiddleof
theGreatDepression,andhewasraisedbyasinglemother.JohnrememberstheimpacttheGreat
Depressionhadonthecounty,
Itwasverydifficultbackatthosetimes,becausewewerejust
comingoutoftheDepression.Andnotmanypeoplehadgoodpayingjobsanditwasverydifficult
tomakethingswork.
Whenitcametoopportunitiesduringthewar,Johnhadverylittle.Whenthewarstartedin
1942.Ihadjustgraduatedfromhighschool,andIwasntquite18yearsold.Therewasnothing
muchelsetodo.Havingnoopportunityanywhereelse,Johndecidedtoleavehomeandjointhe
military.Inthemilitary,Johnspentlongperiodsoftimeinhisbase,beforehegotintoany
training.Wejustsatindifferentcampsites,marchingdoingKPP(KeyPerformanceMeter),doing
menialchoresjusttokeepusoutoftrouble.Johngotintoflyingschool,buthadtowaitfrom
April1942toJanuary1943togetattend.WheninflyingschoolsinGeorgiaandFlorida,hewas
movedupintheranks.
Ittooksixmonthsformetogotoflyingschool-primaryflyingschool,basicflyingschool
andadvancedflyingschool,andwhenIgotoutIwascommissionedsecondlieutenant.John
quicklywentflyinginPanama,fivedaysafterhisnineteenthbirthday.Hemadesurethatno
enemyvesselscrossedthecanal,andensuredthesafetyofthecanalzoneaswell.Heflewin
Panamaforsixmonths.HethenreturnedtotheUnitedStatesandjoinedtheXFlyingTigers
groupinGeorgia.
TheXFlyingTigerswereagroupthatfoughtagainstJapaneseoccupationbeforetheUS
enteredthewar.UnderthecommandofgeneralClaireChennault,theXFlyingTigerswasagroup
ofAmericanvolunteersthatfoughtagainstJapaneseoccupation..TheywerepartoftheArmyAir
Corps,whentheUSstartedtogetinvolvedinthewar.Johnwasplacedinsecondaircommando,
andenjoyedbeingintheXFlyingTigers.
Wewereveryfortunatetohaveexperiencedpeople
asourleaders.
JohnHarrisflewinChina,fromAutumn1944toJanuary1945.Johnreflectedonhis
experiencesasaWorldWar2pilot:
Youarenotafighterpilotunlessyouarebold.Youcantbe
timid,andittaughtmetobeboldandforwardandnottobackoff.Becauseifyoubackoffyou
arentgettinganywhere.
Afterthewar,theUSgovernmentgrantededucationbenefitstosoldierscomingback
fromthewarcalledGIbills.Usingthosebenefits,JohnwenttoSanDiegoStateUniversity,and
latertransferredtoOptometrySchoolinLosAngelesCalifornia.
.
Hesoongothisoptometry
degree,andstartedhisownprivatebusiness.Johnspilotexperiencehelpedhimbuildconfidence
inhiscareer.Itwasagreatexperienceforme,andittaughtmeallthroughmylifetobe
confident,itmademefeelthatIwasasgoodorbetterthanninetypercentofthecompany.AndI
candomostthingsbetter,thanninetypercentofthepeople.
Johnsdeterminationisoneofhisbesttraits.Yetwithallhissuccess,hestilldeterminesthatone
daythathumanswillstopfightingwars..Hismessagepointsouttheutterdestructionofwarand
hisperspectiveonhowheviewswar.Thedayafterthebombdroppedtherewasnothingthere.
Nothingthere..Itwasallgone,thewholecitywasalldown,athousandsofpeoplewerekilled.
Youcantgoarounddoingthat,ImeanIdontwanttobepartoftheworldifthatiswhatgoingto
happen.