World War II Honoree

Douglas P. Harper

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Palo Alto, California

Honored By

Mrs. Dorothy A. Harper

SPECIAL FORCES. 82ND AIRBORNE, 73RD ARTILLERY. COMBAT READY AIRLIFT FROM FORT SILL. DEPARTMENT HEAD, FORT LEAVENWORTH COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND GENERAL STAFF. RECEIVED WWII COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE. U.S. OFFICE OF STRATEGIC SERVICES. FLUENT IN CHINESE; ADVISOR TO CHINESE GOVERNMENT ON TAIWAN. DURING 36 YEARS AS AN ARMY REGULAR, HE EARNED MORE THAN 20 MEDALS, INCLUDING THE SILVER STAR, THE THIRD HIGHEST AWARD FOR COMBAT BRAVERY, THREE BRONZE STARS AND FOUR AIR MEDALS. THE VIETNAMESE ARMY AWARDED HIM ITS MEDAL OF HONOR. HE COULD WEAR SIX CAMPAIGN RIBBONS. HE HELPED CREATE THE SCHOOL TO TRAIN CHINESE PARATROOPERS AND LEARNED THEIR LANGUAGE, LATER DROPPING WITH A CLANDESTINE DETACHMENT INTO CHINA TO MONITOR JAPANESE TROOP MOVEMENTS. AT WAR'S END, HE PARACHUTED INTO SHANGHAI TO FREE PRISONERS OF WAR.