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Thomas Robert Harris

PFC Thomas R. Harris served with Dog Company, First Battalion, 8th Marines.
He was reported missing in action at Betio, Tarawa atoll, on 20 November 1943.

*This is an official date of loss; the battalion did not land until 21 November 1943.
Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019

Branch

Marine Corps Regular
Service Number 359299

Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019

Current Status

Remains Not Recovered

Pursuit Category

This case is under Active Pursuit by the DPAA.

Capsule History

Pre-War Life

Birth

May 9, 1925
at Scranton, PA

Parents

Thomas Harris (d. 1937)
Mary Belle (Smith) Graves
Benjamin Sweetser, stepfather

Education

West Scranton Junior High School

Occupation & Employer

Civilian Conservation Corps

Service Life

Entered Service

January 21, 1942
at Philadelphia, PA

Home Of Record

512 North Filmore Avenue
Scranton, PA

Next Of Kin

Mother, Mrs. Helen Sweetser

Military Specialty

Primary Unit

D/1/8th Marines

Campaigns Served

Tarawa

Individual Decorations

Purple Heart

Additional Service Details

Loss And Burial

Circumstances Of Loss

PFC Thomas Harris served with Dog Company, 8th Marines, in the Guadalcanal campaign and the the battle for Tarawa.

At midday on 20 November 1943, BLT 1-8 climbed over the sides of their transport ships and boarded LCVPs in Tarawa lagoon. They anticipated imminent landing orders, but due to the desperate situation on the beach were held offshore in their little boats, bobbing in the waves for the rest of the day and a very long night. Early on 21 November, they were ordered to land on Betio’s Beach Red 2.

At 0615, the first waves of 1-8 rushed down the ramps and into the breaking surf on a coral reef some 500 yards from shore. Although friendly troops held the water’s edge, they “immediately came under heavy machine gun fire from both flanks.” The battalion was decimated on the long walk to shore. An action report penned by the 8th Marines noted that “many of the casualties resulted from drowning, due to the heavy packs and equipment men attempted to take across the submerged fringing reef.”

The Dog Company Marines, many of them weighed down by crew-serviced weapons and heavy ammunition, were especially hard-hit during the landings; PFC Harris was last seen alive during the landing operation. When the battle ended, he was officially noted as “missing in action” – a status that was soon amended to “killed in action.” Although his battalion did not land until D+1, Harris’ official date of death is given as 20 November 1943.

 

Burial Information or Disposition

None recorded; reported as missing in action.

A memorial marker was erected in Cemetery 33, Plot 15, Row 3, Grave 10.

Next Of Kin Address

Address of mother, Mrs. Helen Sweetser.

Location Of Loss

PFC Harris’ battalion landed in the vicinity of Beach Red 2, Betio.

Betio Casualties From This Company​

(Recently accounted for or still non-recovered)
*Although BLT 1-8 did not land until 21 November, the official date of death for some personnel is given as 20 November 1943.
The reasons for this discrepancy are not known.
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