William Hartwell Harrison (October 7, 1896 – August 19, 1955) was a decorated officer of

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

with the rank of

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

. He is most noted as commanding officer of 11th Marine Regiment during

Battle of Peleliu The Battle of Peleliu, codenamed Operation Stalemate II by the US military, was fought between the United States and Japan during the Mariana and Palau Islands campaign of World War II, from September 15 to November 27, 1944, on the island of P ...

in September 1944. Harrison later commanded the Automotive Section within Service Command,

Fleet Marine Force Pacific The United States Fleet Marine Force, Pacific (FMFPAC) is the largest maritime landing force in the world. Its units are spread across the Pacific Ocean and reports to the United States Pacific Command. It is headquartered at MCB Camp H. ...

Early career

William H. Harrison was born on October 7, 1896, at

Middle River, Maryland Middle River is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 33,203 at the 2020 census. A Middle River Train Station first appeared on the 1877 G.M. Hopkins & Co Baltimore ...

. He attended the St. John's College at

Annapolis, Maryland Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...

, before he reported for Marine Corps active duty with the rank of second lieutenant on May 24, 1917. Harrison was sent to

the Basic School The Basic School (TBS) is where all newly commissioned and appointed (for warrant officers) United States Marine Corps officers are taught the basics of being an "Officer of Marines". The Basic School is located at Camp Barrett, Quantico, Vir ...

for additional officers training and subsequently was attached to the 13th Marine Regiment and sailed for

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. He arrived in September 1918, but too late to see combat and spent almost nine months with occupation duties in

Brest Brest may refer to: Places *Brest, Belarus **Brest Region **Brest Airport **Brest Fortress * Brest, Kyustendil Province, Bulgaria * Břest, Czech Republic *Brest, France ** Arrondissement of Brest **Brest Bretagne Airport ** Château de Brest *Br ...

. Harrison was ordered back to the United States in July 1919 and following the deactivation of the unit, he was attached to the Second Provisional Marine Brigade under Brigadier General Ben H. Fuller. His first expeditionary duties came in October 1919, when he sailed with 2nd Brigade for

Santo Domingo , total_type = Total , population_density_km2 = auto , timezone = AST (UTC −4) , area_code_type = Area codes , area_code = 809, 829, 849 , postal_code_type = Postal codes , postal_code = 10100–10699 (Distrito Nacional) , websi ...

to fight rebel forces of General

Desiderio Arias Desiderio Arias Álvarez (1872–1931) was a notable Dominican soldier and ''caudillo'' who gained a significant following throughout the northern band of the Dominican Republic, especially in the Montecristi region. He was killed by Rafael Tr ...

. Harrison spent two years in

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...

and finally returned stateside in 1921. He was assigned to the Marine Barracks Quantico,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. He was assigned to the 10th Marine Artillery Regiment and participated in the maneuvers at Culebra,

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

. Lieutenant Harrison was later assigned for instruction to the Motor Transport School at

Camp Holabird Fort Holabird was a United States Army post in the city of Baltimore, Maryland, active from 1918 to 1973. History Fort Holabird was located in the southeast corner of Baltimore and northwest of the suburban developments of Dundalk, Maryland, in s ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

. Another foreign shore duty came in July 1922, when he sailed as first lieutenant for

Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...

as a member of First Marine Brigade under Brigadier General Theodore P. Kane. During his time there, he served as Brigade Transportation Officer until September 1927. His main responsibility as Transportation officer was the movement of personnel and material by truck, rail and sea. He subsequently returned to Quantico a because of his experiences with transportation of the troops, he was assigned again as Transportation officer. Harrison remained at Quantico until June 1929, when he was promoted to the rank of captain and appointed commanding officer of the Marine detachment abord the battleship USS ''New Mexico''. While aboard that vessel, he participated in patrol cruises in the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans until July 1931. Captain Harrison was subsequently assigned to the Battery Officer's Course at

Field Artillery School The United States Army Field Artillery School (USAFAS) trains Field Artillery Soldiers and Marines in tactics, techniques, and procedures for the employment of fire support systems in support of the maneuver commander. The school further develop ...

Fort Sill Fort Sill is a United States Army post north of Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles (136.8 km) southwest of Oklahoma City. It covers almost . The fort was first built during the Indian Wars. It is designated as a National Historic Landmark ...

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

, where he also attended later the Advanced Course. He graduated in May 1933 and joined 21st Reserve Marines at

Philadelphia Navy Yard The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard was an important naval shipyard of the United States for almost two centuries. Philadelphia's original navy yard, begun in 1776 on Front Street and Federal Street in what is now the Pennsport section of the cit ...

Later Career and World War II

Harrison was ordered to sunny

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

in January 1936 and assigned as major to the

Marine Corps Base San Diego Marine Corps Recruit Depot (commonly referred to as MCRD) San Diego is a United States Marine Corps military installation in San Diego, California. It lies between San Diego Bay and Interstate 5, adjacent to San Diego International Airport and th ...

. He assumed duties as

executive officer An executive officer is a person who is principally responsible for leading all or part of an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization. In many militaries and police forces, an executive officer, o ...

of the 2nd Battalion, 10th Marine Artillery Regiment and later served also as 2nd Battalion Commander from May to June 1938. He then spent two years in Pacific, when he was appointed commanding officer of the Marine barracks at Naval Station Guam in June 1939. Harrison returned stateside in June 1941 and joined again 1st Battalion, 10th Marines at

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

under Lieutenant Colonel Raphael Griffin. But with the Japanese

Attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, j ...

, the new units were activated and Harrison assumed command of

12th Defense Battalion The 12th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion (12th AAA Bn) was a United States Marine Corps Anti-aircraft warfare, antiaircraft unit that served during World War II. Formed in 1942 as the 12th Defense Battalion, its original mission was providing a ...

at the beginning of August 1942 also at

. His unit consisted of 1500 men of coastal defense and

anti-aircraft Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...

units and was almost immediately ordered to

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

. During May 1943, Harrison sailed with 12th Defense Battalion to

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands (Manono Island, Manono an ...

and subsequently to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. He led his unit during the

Operation Chronicle Operation Chronicle was the Allied invasion of Woodlark and Kiriwina Islands, in the South West Pacific, during World War II. The operation was a subordinate action that formed part of the wider Operation Cartwheel, the advance towards Rabau ...

, assault and subsequent occupation of

Woodlark Island Woodlark Island, known to its inhabitants simply as Woodlark or Muyua, is the main island of the Woodlark Islands archipelago, located in Milne Bay Province and the Solomon Sea, Papua New Guinea. Although no formal census has been conducted sinc ...

at the end of June 1943. The Island was unoccupied, but Japanese conducted few shelling and bombing attacks. Harrison later led 12th Defense battalion during the

Battle of Cape Gloucester The Battle of Cape Gloucester was fought in the Pacific theater of World War II between Japanese and Allied forces on the island of New Britain, Territory of New Guinea, between 26 December 1943 and 16 January 1944. Codenamed Operation Backhande ...

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea). It is a simplified version of ...

at the end of December 1944 until he was replaced by Merlyn D. Holmes and appointed commanding officer of 11th Marine Artillery Regiment within

1st Marine Division The 1st Marine Division (1st MARDIV) is a Marine division of the United States Marine Corps headquartered at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. It is the ground combat element of the I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF). It is the ...

under Major General

William H. Rupertus William Henry Rupertus (November 14, 1889 – March 25, 1945) was a major general in the United States Marine Corps, who commanded the famed 1st Marine Division in the Pacific in World War II and also authored the USMC Rifleman's Creed. Military ...

. His regiment was designated artillery group for the Peleliu Operation in September 1944 and even with a minimum of motor transportation available, Harrison coordinated artillery shelling on well entrenched enemy forces. His actions destroyed a large number of Japanese units, and this helped to win the campaign. For his actions and leadership during the battle, Harrison received the

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...

with

Combat "V" Combat ( French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is sometimes resorted to as a method of self-defense, or ...

and also the

Navy Presidential Unit Citation The Presidential Unit Citation (PUC), originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the uniformed services of the United States, and those of allied countries, for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enem ...

. In December 1944, Harrison was ordered back to the United States and appointed officer in charge of Automotive Section within Service Command,

under Major General

Earl C. Long Earl Cecil Long (November 4, 1883 – August 19, 1983) was a decorated officer in the United States Marine Corps who reached the rank of Major general (United States), major general. During World War II, he served as commanding general of Service ...

. In this assignment, he was responsible again for the movement of personnel, weapons and supplies by trucks, air and sea. Harrison remained in this capacity until the end of the war and later received the

Bronze Star Medal The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

for his service.

Retirement

Harrison returned stateside in January 1946 and assumed duties as officer in charge of Western and North-Eastern Recruiting Divisions at

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

and

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. He retired from the active service on April 1, 1948, after 31 years of military service and was advanced to the rank of

for having been specially commended in combat. Harrison died on August 19, 1955, and is buried at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

together with his wife Blanche Moe Harrison (1895–1972) and their son William Hartwell Harrison (1922–1940).

Decorations

Here is the ribbon bar of Brigadier General William H. Harrison:

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harrison (USMC), William H. 1896 births 1955 deaths People from Baltimore County, Maryland St. John's College (Annapolis/Santa Fe) alumni United States Marine Corps generals American military personnel of the Banana Wars United States Marine Corps personnel of World War I United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II Recipients of the Legion of Merit Burials at Arlington National Cemetery Military personnel from Maryland