Joe Harris, secret hero of WW2
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March 28th, 2025 at 3:39:22 PM
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Did you know there was an all-black Parachute Battalion during WW2? Or that they engaged in a top-secret mission vital to the war effort?
During WW2, the Japanese made several attempts to create fires both in the Pacific Northwest and in farm belt. The American public was not made aware of this and most fires were contained and covered up. For many years, the official line was that the Japanese weapons failed for various reasons- poor timing, mechanical failures, design problems and more.
In truth, the firebombs were much more effective than the public knew, and the all-black 555th Airborne contained the damage.
The 555th was officially a support company, like most non-white units in the American military at the time. For obscure reasons, it was limited to 400 men, making it ineligible to rotate with the other airborne battalions that were 600-plus
They made more jumps than any unit in WW2, parachuting into deep forests to contain the bomb damage. Strangely, the Japanese would bomb during the wet seasons and lay off in the dry season. Because the 555 often secretly fought fires hundreds of miles from its assigned workstations, casualties were often misrecorded and medals denied.
Depending on different sources, Joe Harris passed away at either 106 or 108 years old. He is the last known living member of the 555th.
The 555 was absorbed into the 81st Airborne and retired from service.
During WW2, the Japanese made several attempts to create fires both in the Pacific Northwest and in farm belt. The American public was not made aware of this and most fires were contained and covered up. For many years, the official line was that the Japanese weapons failed for various reasons- poor timing, mechanical failures, design problems and more.
In truth, the firebombs were much more effective than the public knew, and the all-black 555th Airborne contained the damage.
The 555th was officially a support company, like most non-white units in the American military at the time. For obscure reasons, it was limited to 400 men, making it ineligible to rotate with the other airborne battalions that were 600-plus
They made more jumps than any unit in WW2, parachuting into deep forests to contain the bomb damage. Strangely, the Japanese would bomb during the wet seasons and lay off in the dry season. Because the 555 often secretly fought fires hundreds of miles from its assigned workstations, casualties were often misrecorded and medals denied.
Depending on different sources, Joe Harris passed away at either 106 or 108 years old. He is the last known living member of the 555th.
The 555 was absorbed into the 81st Airborne and retired from service.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
