Judd Zera Harris

Judd Harris entered the Marine Corps with a civilian pilot’s license and dreams of flying fighter planes. Instead, he became an artillery officer specializing in the use of 75mm “pack” howitzers – so called for their portability. He was especially proficient as a forward observer and liaison. When it became apparent that his battalion needed aerial spotters, Harris immediately volunteered for the job. On 7 February 1944, as operations in the Marshall Islands accelerated, Captain Harris was assigned to temporary flight duty aboard the USS Sangamon (CVE-26). From the rear seat of a scout bomber belonging to VC-37, Harris spotted targets on the island of Engebi – and, according to correspondent Dick Gordon, gave the order to fire the opening shot of the battle on 18 February.

Over the next few days, Harris and his spotter colleagues were kept constantly busy as the 22nd Marines, 106th Infantry, and other amphibious elements carried out attacks on other islands in the atoll. Last on the schedule was Parry Island. On 22 February 1944, Captain Harris climbed into the rear seat of SBD-5 #36777, piloted by Ensign Milton Homer Bergmaier of VC-37. The bomber roared down the Sangamon’s deck and was soon on station over Parry Island, looking for targets through the smoke below.

At 0900, the first waves of the 22nd Marines hit the beaches. Harris radioed his buddy Captain Albert Pope, the battery’s communications officer. “Al, I’ve got a nice cold bottle of beer up here,” he joked. “Want me to drop it to you by parachute?” Minutes later, at 0910, Ensign Bergmaier brought the SBD in for a close-in pass over the island.