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MatthewMarshall

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.

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