[Thomas S. Harris oral history interview]

Fighter ace Thomas S. Harris discusses his military service with the United States Navy during World War II. He describes his wartime experiences as a fighter pilot, including his time with Fighting Squadron 18 (VF-18) and Fighting Squadron 17 (VF-17) in the Pacific Theater. Special focus on a combat mission on April 12, 1945 in which he downed a Kawanishi N1K-J “George” aircraft near Kikaishima, Japan.

Thomas S. Harris was born on April 21, 1921 in Tamaroa, Illinois. He joined the United States Navy in 1942 and was designated a Naval Aviator in May of that year. Harris served two combat tours in the Pacific Theater, one with Fighting Squadron 18 (VF-18) aboard the USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) and one with Fighting Squadron 17 (VF-17) aboard the USS Hornet (CV-12). He participated in the Tarawa invasion and the Okinawa Campaign, among other actions, and flew missions in the Central Pacific, South Pacific, and Japanese home islands. Harris remained in the military after the war and retired from the inactive Navy Reserve in 1959 at the rank of commander. He also worked as a test pilot for North American Aviation and the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation. Harris passed away in 2010.