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ORVILLE K. HARRIS

[courtesy of "RWY"]

Grave marker for Orville Kenneth “O.K.” Harris and spouse in Sunset Memorial Park, San Antonio (Bexar county), Texas.

 

O.K registered for the draft in Amarillo, RX ca. 1941 and was inducted into the Army at Lubbock, TX on 17 July 1942.

On 17 December 1942, Pvt Harris was transferred fro Camp Toccoa, GA to Hq 3rd, 508 PIR.

On 23 July 1943 he was elevated to the rank of Corporal and then on 6 August 1943 he was redeslgnated as a T/5 which is the same pay grade.

He was promoted to SSgt on 18 December 1943 and was transferred to Company H.

SSgt Harris was severely wounded on 20 June 1944 and, according to John DeLury, "his legs were riddled with machine gun bullets"

That eyewitness account is borne out with this casualty report which documents SSgt Harris' injures as compound fractures of the Tibia and Fibula, in both legs, but with no nerve or artery involvement and that the wounds were caused by machine gun bullets.

On 27 September 1944, SSgt Harris was transferred to yhe hospital's detachment of patients.

The medical report states that he was returned to duty after spending more than six months (194 days) in the hospital.  He died not, however, return to the regiment.