CPL William Von Harris (WWII)


Remembering CPL William Von Harris (Fairmont)

May 24, 1917 - November 6, 1944

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CPL William Von Harris (Service #15324425) was born in Fairmont, WV on May 24, 1917, the son of Lester and Arretia "Rita" (Williams) Harris.

Their family lived on Front Street in Fairmont, and Lester was a laborer (1920 Census) and later a deliveryman for the laundry while the family lived at 702 Columbia Street (1930 Census).

William, often listed by his middle name Von, attended East Fairmont High School for 4 years, though the 1946 EFHS WWII Honor Call does not give a graduation year for him. 

Marriage and Enlistment:

On October 8, 1936, Von married Mary Kathleen Richardson in Farmington, WV. They had two children, Thomas Leroy Harris (1939-2024) and Howard Paul Harris (1942-2011). Their family lived at 14 Roy Terrace near Monroe Street in Fairmont, while Von worked at Owens-Illinois as a laborer (1940 Census).

Von registered for the draft on October 16, 1940 in Winfield, near where their family lived. Still employed at Owens-Illinois, Von was 5'9" and 160 lbs, with blue eyes, blonde hair, and light skin.

Now a "skilled pattern and model maker," Von enlisted in the Army Infantry on October 11, 1942 at Fort Hayes in Columbus, Ohio.

Military Service: 

CPL William Von Harris was a member of the 110th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division, Cannon Company. During WWII, a cannon company supplied close-range support to infantrymen with things like 105 mm howitzers.

From the Pritzker Military Museum & Library:
"The 28th Infantry Division relieved the 9th Infantry Division in the Hürtgen Forest in mid-October. They attacked the town of Schmidt in early November, with the 110th Regiment ordered to clear the woods near the Kall River. The 28th Division sustained heavy casualties in the Hürtgen and would later play a significant role in delaying the German advance in the Ardennes."

Von died of wounds received in the Hürtgen Forest on November 6, 1944. His hospital admission report from that time gave the following diagnosis: 
"First Location: ribs, costal cartilage; Second Diagnosis: Hemothorax; Causative Agent: Artillery Shell, Fragments, Afoot or unspecified." Hemothorax is when blood collects between your chest wall and lung. Medics attempted to save him by administrating a thoracotomy.

Legacy and Survivors:

Initially buried overseas, CPL William Von Harris was interred at the historic Woodlawn Cemetery in Fairmont, WV in 1948.

CPL William Von Harris was survived by his wife of eight years, Mary, and their two sons: Thomas and Howard. Additionally, he was survived by his parents and four siblings- two brothers, and two sisters. Von and Mary's older son, MSGT Thomas Leroy Harris, went on to serve the US in Vietnam. Unfortunately, he passed away April 27, 2024 in Missouri. He was preceded in death by his parents and younger brother, Howard Paul Harris, who passed away September 17, 2011.

Sources and More Information:

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