World War II Honoree

Robert Leland Harris

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Austin, Texas

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

PRIVATE 1ST CLASS. HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS DECEMBER 2, 1942 AND PARTICIPATED IN BASIC COMBAT TRAINING AT THE MARINE RECRUIT DEPOT, PARRIS ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA. AFTER BOOT CAMP, HE WAS DESIGNATED TO ATTEND SEA SCHOOL AT THE SAN DIEGO RECRUIT DEPOT, CALIFORNIA. SERVED IN THE PACIFIC THEATER ABOARD THE BATTLESHIP, USS TENNESSEE BB-43 ASSIGNED TO A MARINE DETACHMENT. ON THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 1945, HE WAS KILLED IN ACTION WHEN A JAPANESE KAMIKAZE FLEW INTO THE BATTLESHIP, IMPACTING INTO THE PORT 40MM AND 20MM GUN BATTERIES DURING THE BATTLE OF OKINAWA. BURIED AT SEA ON THE DAY OF HIS DEATH AND HIS BURIAL CEREMONIAL SERVICES WERE CONDUCTED FROM HIS SHIP. HE IS MEMORIALIZED IN THE TABLETS OF THE MISSING LOCATED AT HONOLULU NATIONAL MEMORIAL CEMETERY OF THE PACIFIC, ‘PUNCHBOWL’ HAWAII. DECORATIONS AND CITATIONS: PURPLE HEART, COMBAT ACTION RIBBON AND THE WWII VICTORY MEDAL. THIS AMERICAN PATRIOT WAS AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART, WHO SO GALLANTLY GAVE HIS LIFE FOR HIS COUNTRY.