Uss Harris Pinky Morris Cbm, Usn Wwii

[once_a_sailor]

Aldon ?Red? Morris BMC, USN WWII

Aldon Ray ?Red? or ?Pinky? Morris was born on 6 October 1920 to Raymond and Mamie Morris of Bardstown Junction, KY, Red was the third of 6 children. In Dec 1939 Red enlisted in the US Navy for 6 years and departed for US Naval Training Station, Great Lakes, IL. After completing ?Boot Camp? Red was Transferred to USS Pennsylvania BB-38 and headed for Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In October 1941 Red was transferred again this time to USS HARRIS APA-2. Upon the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the US entering WWII, the HARRIS was loaded with salvage equipment, Naval Aviators and Navy Nurses and steamed towards Pearl Harbor, they arrived on Christmas Eve, 1941, HARRIS would make a total of 3 trips from the West Coast to Pearl Harbor between December 1941 and January1942. Red could hardly believe what he saw of his former homeport he had left just 2 months ago. This young 21-year-old Bullitt County man was about to experience things he had never dreamed of. That was Red?s introduction to WWII and the beginning of many long voyages and many battles to come.
In April 1942 HARRIS sailed for Pago Pago, Samoa with troops of the Seventh Defense Fleet Marine Force.
In May of 1942, HARRIS was again loaded with Marines and landed the troops on Uvea, Wallis Islands for the defense of the New Caledonia area.
In August 1942 HARRIS sailed for Norfolk, VA while approaching Hampton Roads, VA she was hit on the port side by the USS ALGORAB, severe damage resulted from the collision which necessitated HARRIS being dry-docked to repair a 44 foot hole on her side. After repairs HARRIS returned to Norfolk and loaded troops and equipment for the invasion of French Morocco. In October of that year the Commander of Transport Division Seven made HARRIS his Flag Ship. On 8 November Harris arrived of the coast of Safi, French Morocco and unloaded her troops for the invasion of North Africa. Despite fire from shore batteries HARRIS was the first transport to unload and then sent her boats to the other transports to assist in their unloading.
IN April 1943 HARRIS was loaded with combat troops of the 7th Infantry Division and headed towards Cold Bay, Alaska for the assault and capture of Attu Island.
In July 1943 HARRIS again was loaded with combat troops and headed back to the Aleutian Islands of Alaska for the invasion and capture of Kiska.
HARRIS then sailed for Wellington, New Zealand and crossed the Equator on 16 September where 314 men became victims of the initiation of the Realm of Neptunis Rex.
In October HARRIS loaded elements of the Second Marine Division and conducted tests and landing exercises on the Fiji Islands and at Efate, New Hebrides in preparation for the assault on the Gilbert Islands.
HARRIS arrived off the coast of Tarawa on 21 November and came under fire from shore batteries and air attacks. HARRIS completed unloading the Marines on 28 November and her boats made numerous trips back and forth to the beach to bring supplies to the Marines and to bring the wounded back to HARRIS.
In January 1944 HARRIS loaded troops of the 7th Infantry Division and headed to the assault and capture of Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.
In May of 1944 HARRIS loaded troops of the 27th Infantry Division and steamed back into the fight, this time for the assault on Saipan.
In July of 1944 HARRIS loaded troops of the 81st Infantry Division for the assault of Palau. HARRIS made a diversionary landing on the western side of Anguar to draw the Japanese off the main landings.
In September HARRIS landed troops for the capture of Ulithi Atoll.
October of ?44 brought no rest for the crew of HARRIS as they loaded elements of the First Calvary Division for the coming assault of Leyte Isalnd. While steaming into Leyte Gulf during the night of 19 October HARRIS caught a mine in her port paravane and was forced to leave the action temporarily until they had freed her from danger. Even though they left formation she was still one of the first transports to unload her troops. HARRIS then went through the Kossel Passage where she picked up about 100 survivors of the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
HARRIS picked up elements of the 77th Infantry Division at Guam and landed them at Leyte for reinforcements.
Elements of the 37th Infantry Division where loaded on HARRIS in December 1944 and she steamed back towards the Philippines. There she mad an assault landing on Lingayen Gulf, Luzon Island. En-route to the Philippines in January 1945 HARRIS encountered numerous heavy air attacks but was able to fight the attacks off. One of the planes HARRIS was firing on made a suicide dive and hit the USS Kitkun Bay.
HARRIS debarked her troops on 9 January and made another landing at LaPaz unopposed on 26 January.
March 1945 brought HARRIS back into the action with the loading of troops from the 7th Infantry Division for the coming assault on Okinawa. HARRIS landed her troops amidst heavy air attacks on Okinawa on Easter Sunday 1 April 1945.
HARRIS arrived in Tokyo Bay 2 days after the peace treaty was signed and unloaded occupation forces of the 77th Infantry Division at Yokohama. The war was over but HARRIS? duties were not. She made a total of three occupation force landings with the last being in Tientsin, China where she landed Navy Seabees.
HARRIS arrived in Boston, Mass. on 2 February 1946 and was slated for decommissioning. She had traveled over 250,000 miles during the Second World War.
On 12 March 1946 Red Morris was transferred from the HARRIS to PSC, Great Lakes for discharge for the Navy. He was discharged on 20 March 1946 as a Chief Boatswain Mate; at that time the highest enlisted rank in the US Navy. Red?s duties on HARRIS are not all known except for; Master at Arms Force, Assault Boat Coxswain and Gun Captain on Anti-Aircraft gun crew. He never talked much about his duties or what he did or what he saw. What we do know is he participated in 13 Amphibious Assaults and earned 10 Battle Stars for combat operations. He suffered from terrible nightmares and was unable to sleep at night for years after coming home to Bullitt County. Red operated the Morris Grocery on Chapeze Rd across from Bernheim Forest until 1963, he also worked as a night watch men for the Shinley Distillery and worked as a carpenter for his younger brother Ed H. Morris.
Red Morris passed away on February 12, 1999 due to complications from emphysema.
Red received the following awards during his over 6 years in the Navy;
*Good Conduct Medal with one Bronze Star
American Defense Service Medal w/ Fleet Clasp
American Campaign Medal
*Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal with 9 Stars
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal w/ one Star
World War II Victory Medal
Navy Occupation Service Medal w/ Asia Clasp
China Service Medal
Navy Unit Commendation
*Philippine Liberation Ribbon w/ 2 Stars
Philippine Presidential Unit Citation

(*Denotes more than one subsequent award of same ribbon)



Red or ?Pinky? Morris is at far right back row, standing. These men were on HARRIS at the beginning of WWII and remained on her all through the war. They were the only 8 left of the original crew of about 565 men. (1945)