Latest news with #OperationFirefly
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Joe Harris, oldest WWII paratrooper who paved way for Black soldiers, dies at 108
Sgt. Joe Harris lived a beautiful life. He sailed to earth on numerous missions as a member of the U.S. Army's first all-Black paratrooper battalion during World War II, the 555th, aptly nicknamed the "Triple Nickles." At his funeral service on Saturday, friends, families and uniformed members of the military danced and sang to honor Harris, believed to be oldest paratrooper veteran when he died March 15. He was 108. "He was a kind, caring, compassionate man," his daughter La Tanya Pittman told The Times. "He didn't let the fact that he was fighting for freedom during segregated times stop him from living his life." Read more: Black L.A. social spaces flourished after George Floyd. 5 years later, will they survive? Harris, who was born in Westdale, La., on June 19, 1916, died in a Los Angeles hospital surrounded by family. He lay in repose Saturday at Lewis Metropolitan CME Church. Many cried, but they also laughed, as the service felt like a homecoming — one last leap for Harris into the unknown. His grandson, Ashton Pittman, thanked his grandfather for all that he sacrificed. "He was our rock, the foundation among which generations have been built," he said. Harris received full military honors and was interred at Inglewood Park Cemetery. His funeral procession included a World War II Willys Jeep escort and a military aircraft flew over the Harris home in Compton, where he lived for more than 60 years. Compton Mayor Emma Sharif announced the city was exploring plans to rename a street after Harris. Members of the U.S. National Forest Service and veterans from different branches of the military dressed in World War II-era uniforms. They included retired U.S. Army Sgt. Donald Garrison, who first met Harris several years ago and has participated in commemorative events and parachute jumps honoring the Triple Nickles. "Holy smokes, man, he paved the way for people like myself," Garrison said, as his voice broke. "I get a little emotional because I feel it in my heart. He sacrificed so much, because he wasn't supposed to be anything other than a steward, a cook or valet. He was a paratrooper — a hero." La Tanya Pittman said her father was skilled as a paratrooper, but wanted to become a pilot while he was in the military. "They wouldn't let him even try," she said. "But he still went on to serve his country." Read more: Toddler just learning to speak knew just the word to save his family As a member of the "Triple Nickles" Harris was part of a combat-ready unit, but the paratroopers were not sent overseas. Instead, they trained as some of America's first "smokejumpers." They were tasked with parachuting into Pacific Northwest forests to fight wildfires ignited by Japanese balloon bombs launched into North America from across the Pacific Ocean. Operation Firefly, a highly secretive mission, saw the smokejumpers put out wildfires and disarm any downed explosives. They were stationed in Pendleton, Ore., and Chico, Calif., where they responded to 36 fires and made 1,200 jumps, according to the U.S. Forest Service. A key reason the operation was kept secret was to limit news from reaching Japan about the the balloon bombs that arrived in North America, said chief historian Matt Seelinger with the Army Historical Foundation. Although six people were killed near Bly, Ore., when they discovered a downed balloon in May 1945, the overall damage caused by the weapons was limited. "The balloons did not work as the Japanese intended," Seelinger said. Harris made 72 successful jumps while he was with the Army, according to the organization Beyond the Call, which documents veterans' stories. The smokejumpers were equipped with wildland firefighting gear, including a football-style leather helmet with a grill in front and other tools. After his honorable discharge, Harris purchased a home in Compton and had three children with his high school sweetheart, Louise Singleton Harris. He went on to work for the U.S. Border Patrol for nearly 40 years. Read more: What we lost in the fires Former Compton Mayor Omar Bradley, who grew up next door to the Harris family, danced in Harris' living room next to a large radio console when he was 3 or 4. "His favorite thing was to invite me over and have me dance in front of his buddies," said Bradley, who later learned the other men were veteran paratroopers with the 555th. "But if he really wanted me to turn it on, he'd throw $1 down, and I would have the whole house — his wife, his kids, everybody — laughing, because I'd start doing the splits." Harris was a father figure and a constant fixture in the Compton community. "He was stalwart, committed and unwavering," Bradley said. "A true American." U.S. Marine Corps veteran and former wildland firefighter Neil Gallagher felt honored to visit Harris at his home in January. He and two other veterans presented Harris with a Pulaski, a wildfire tool used for building firebreaks, and a paratrooper patch. "They fought fascism and then fought racism," said Gallagher, who is the founder of the oral history nonprofit Preserving Their Stories. "Our country has a duty to ensure heroes like Mr. Harris are never forgotten, and that starts with providing units such as the 555th the recognition they deserve," he said. Harris was preceded in death by his wife in 1981 and one grandson. Harris is survived by two daughters, one son, four grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and 20 great-great-grandchildren. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
CNN
05-04-2025
- General
- CNN
How Black paratroopers saved the US from Japan's WWII firebombs
A World War II-era plane is set to fly over a veteran's funeral Saturday. Eighty years ago, elite paratroopers were leaping out of similar aircraft on a secret mission called Operation Firefly. They jumped into burning wildfires, often landing in trees and having to rappel down ropes. When the ropes were too short, they fell to the ground, learning how to protect their bodies as best as they could. Their job was to put out the flames caused by balloon bombs that Japan floated across the Pacific Ocean – the first recorded intercontinental weapons. The paratroopers were highly trained and effective, making 1,200 jumps with the loss of only one man. And they were all Black. Sgt. Joe Harris, who is being laid to rest on Saturday, was one of them. He died last month in Los Angeles at the age of 108, perhaps one of the last of the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion known as the 'Triple Nickles.' 'He broke barriers, he defied limits, and he proved that bravery knows no color,' Harris' grandson Ashton Pittman told CNN. Few knew about the Triple Nickles in their day and Pittman said he was unaware of his grandfather's wartime heroism until he was a teenager. 'His (wartime) service was just a chapter in a long, extraordinary life,' added Pittman. 'But it's a testament to his resilience and his honor and his unwavering dedication to something greater than himself.' Even well into World War II, Black soldiers were typically relegated to menial, non-combat positions in the Army. They cooked, patched roads, did the laundry and guarded the military gates, according to Robert Bartlett, a veteran, retired college professor and Triple Nickles historian. But 16 soldiers from the segregated 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion became the first Black men to graduate from the Army's elite Airborne School at Fort Benning, Georgia. Their unit was nicknamed the 'Triple Nickles,' referencing the members' past as 'Buffalo Soldiers' of the 92nd Infantry Division and the 'buffalo' nickel of the era, though using the unusual spelling of nickle. When the Triple Nickles finally received orders for a secret mission, they thought they would be heading to Europe to fight, Bartlett said. Instead, their group, now 300 strong, was ordered to Pendleton Army Airfield in Oregon where they learned they would be taking on a different kind of enemy, one they had not trained for: Fires. The Army was determined to keep 'Operation Firefly' a secret, Bartlett said. 'They didn't want the American people to panic that they were getting bombed by the Japanese, and they didn't want the Japanese to know that they were successful,' he added. 'It was a secret war that the US was fighting.' As the US Army was training the Triple Nickles to disarm bombs, the men were also being taught by the US Forest Service to become the first military smokejumpers. 'The military is going to train you how to deal with these bombs, but we're going to have to train you how to jump into the mountains with picks and shovels and put out fires,' Bartlett recounted of what the Triple Nickles were told by the Forest Service. Instead of the usual Army attire, the Triple Nickles were issued modified uniforms that were fire resistant, helmets with wire cages to protect from the thick brush, and ropes to lower themselves down from trees. The precision, tactics and techniques developed and used by the Triple Nickles helped to create strategies for jumping with a parachute into wildfires. They also became experts in getting rid of explosives. Harris completed 72 jumps during his time with the Triple Nickles. He was honorably discharged after he was seriously injured on a jump when his parachute failed to inflate fully. The Black heroes of the 555th did participate with their White brothers-in-arms for the 1946 victory parade in New York City even before the Army and the rest of the military was desegregated. But they still had to sit at the back of the bus and endure the other hostilities of discrimination. 'It's like 'We don't really respect you, but we need you,'' said Pittman of what his grandfather and others went through. To historian Bartlett, the patriotism of the Triple Nickles was clear. 'These men loved their country. They loved their country, but their country did not love them,' he said. 'They saw their participation in the war as their duty,' he added. 'It was what you were supposed to do.' Bartlett said one reason why the Triple Nickles are not better known is because its members did not talk about their service much. Omar Bradley, who'd later become mayor of Compton, California, grew up next door to Harris, and said he knew he'd been part of something special. 'It's very difficult to understand jumping into a fire,' he said. 'So, what it took to transform into that kind of man is something they didn't talk about. But yes, we knew that Mr. Harris was a member of a very elite group.' Some of the official recognition of the 555th is being lost. A page on the US Forest Service website about the agency's connection to the Black paratroopers entitled 'The Triple Nickles: A history of service, an enduring legacy' is now blank except for the message 'You are not authorized to access this page.' There has also been a purge of Pentagon websites under the Trump administration to remove content related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) that wiped the stories of baseball legend Jackie Robinson, who served during World War II, and the Navajo Code Talkers before they were restored amid public outcry. After he left the Army, Joe Harris spent decades working as a border patrol officer, according to his grandson Pittman. The younger man said he has grown more appreciative of some of the things his grandfather gave to him, like his Triple Nickles patch and his World War II jacket. 'It means the world to me. It's a piece of history, but it's a piece of our family's history,' Pittman said. In October to honor his grandfather, he decided to go through paratrooper training, even though he is not in the military. 'I felt that I needed to do it to pay respect to him and to people that have served, especially the Triple Nickles,' Pittman said. In the future he hopes to travel and take part on jump teams to show his appreciation for veterans. The World War II nonprofit Beyond the Call recognized Harris' life. 'Joe Harris' bravery and selflessness exemplify the spirit of the Triple Nickle Paratroopers,' it said. 'His remarkable story serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made by those who served during World War II and the importance of honoring their legacy for future generations.' That legacy was to be honored Saturday, with a full military funeral complete with the fly-past. CNN's Dianne Gallagher contributed to this story.
CNN
05-04-2025
- General
- CNN
How Black paratroopers saved the US from Japan's WWII firebombs
A World War II-era plane is set to fly over a veteran's funeral Saturday. Eighty years ago, elite paratroopers were leaping out of similar aircraft on a secret mission called Operation Firefly. They jumped into burning wildfires, often landing in trees and having to rappel down ropes. When the ropes were too short, they fell to the ground, learning how to protect their bodies as best as they could. Their job was to put out the flames caused by balloon bombs that Japan floated across the Pacific Ocean – the first recorded intercontinental weapons. The paratroopers were highly trained and effective, making 1,200 jumps with the loss of only one man. And they were all Black. Sgt. Joe Harris, who is being laid to rest on Saturday, was one of them. He died last month in Los Angeles at the age of 108, perhaps one of the last of the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion known as the 'Triple Nickles.' 'He broke barriers, he defied limits, and he proved that bravery knows no color,' Harris' grandson Ashton Pittman told CNN. Few knew about the Triple Nickles in their day and Pittman said he was unaware of his grandfather's wartime heroism until he was a teenager. 'His (wartime) service was just a chapter in a long, extraordinary life,' added Pittman. 'But it's a testament to his resilience and his honor and his unwavering dedication to something greater than himself.' Even well into World War II, Black soldiers were typically relegated to menial, non-combat positions in the Army. They cooked, patched roads, did the laundry and guarded the military gates, according to Robert Bartlett, a veteran, retired college professor and Triple Nickles historian. But 16 soldiers from the segregated 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion became the first Black men to graduate from the Army's elite Airborne School at Fort Benning, Georgia. Their unit was nicknamed the 'Triple Nickles,' referencing the members' past as 'Buffalo Soldiers' of the 92nd Infantry Division and the 'buffalo' nickel of the era, though using the unusual spelling of nickle. When the Triple Nickles finally received orders for a secret mission, they thought they would be heading to Europe to fight, Bartlett said. Instead, their group, now 300 strong, was ordered to Pendleton Army Airfield in Oregon where they learned they would be taking on a different kind of enemy, one they had not trained for: Fires. The Army was determined to keep 'Operation Firefly' a secret, Bartlett said. 'They didn't want the American people to panic that they were getting bombed by the Japanese, and they didn't want the Japanese to know that they were successful,' he added. 'It was a secret war that the US was fighting.' As the US Army was training the Triple Nickles to disarm bombs, the men were also being taught by the US Forest Service to become the first military smokejumpers. 'The military is going to train you how to deal with these bombs, but we're going to have to train you how to jump into the mountains with picks and shovels and put out fires,' Bartlett recounted of what the Triple Nickles were told by the Forest Service. Instead of the usual Army attire, the Triple Nickles were issued modified uniforms that were fire resistant, helmets with wire cages to protect from the thick brush, and ropes to lower themselves down from trees. The precision, tactics and techniques developed and used by the Triple Nickles helped to create strategies for jumping with a parachute into wildfires. They also became experts in getting rid of explosives. Harris completed 72 jumps during his time with the Triple Nickles. He was honorably discharged after he was seriously injured on a jump when his parachute failed to inflate fully. The Black heroes of the 555th did participate with their White brothers-in-arms for the 1946 victory parade in New York City even before the Army and the rest of the military was desegregated. But they still had to sit at the back of the bus and endure the other hostilities of discrimination. 'It's like 'We don't really respect you, but we need you,'' said Pittman of what his grandfather and others went through. To historian Bartlett, the patriotism of the Triple Nickles was clear. 'These men loved their country. They loved their country, but their country did not love them,' he said. 'They saw their participation in the war as their duty,' he added. 'It was what you were supposed to do.' Bartlett said one reason why the Triple Nickles are not better known is because its members did not talk about their service much. Omar Bradley, who'd later become mayor of Compton, California, grew up next door to Harris, and said he knew he'd been part of something special. 'It's very difficult to understand jumping into a fire,' he said. 'So, what it took to transform into that kind of man is something they didn't talk about. But yes, we knew that Mr. Harris was a member of a very elite group.' Some of the official recognition of the 555th is being lost. A page on the US Forest Service website about the agency's connection to the Black paratroopers entitled 'The Triple Nickles: A history of service, an enduring legacy' is now blank except for the message 'You are not authorized to access this page.' There has also been a purge of Pentagon websites under the Trump administration to remove content related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) that wiped the stories of baseball legend Jackie Robinson, who served during World War II, and the Navajo Code Talkers before they were restored amid public outcry. After he left the Army, Joe Harris spent decades working as a border patrol officer, according to his grandson Pittman. The younger man said he has grown more appreciative of some of the things his grandfather gave to him, like his Triple Nickles patch and his World War II jacket. 'It means the world to me. It's a piece of history, but it's a piece of our family's history,' Pittman said. In October to honor his grandfather, he decided to go through paratrooper training, even though he is not in the military. 'I felt that I needed to do it to pay respect to him and to people that have served, especially the Triple Nickles,' Pittman said. In the future he hopes to travel and take part on jump teams to show his appreciation for veterans. The World War II nonprofit Beyond the Call recognized Harris' life. 'Joe Harris' bravery and selflessness exemplify the spirit of the Triple Nickle Paratroopers,' it said. 'His remarkable story serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made by those who served during World War II and the importance of honoring their legacy for future generations.' That legacy was to be honored Saturday, with a full military funeral complete with the fly-past. CNN's Dianne Gallagher contributed to this story.
New York Times
30-03-2025
- General
- New York Times
Joe Harris, 108, Dies; Thought to Be the Oldest World War II Paratrooper
Joe Harris, who as a sergeant with an all-Black infantry unit during World War II parachuted into forest fires across the Pacific Northwest set off by bomb-laden Japanese balloons, and who was believed to be the oldest surviving U.S. paratrooper, died on March 15 in Los Angeles. He was 108. His death, in a hospital, was confirmed by a representative of his family. Mr. Harris was a member of the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, nicknamed the Triple Nickles (the word was deliberately misspelled) after their unit designation and the three buffalo nickels that formed their insignia. He had enlisted in the Army in 1941, and he volunteered to join the 555th soon after it was formed in 1943. The Army was still rigidly segregated, and most Black service members served in support roles; the battalion was designed as an early step toward the military's eventual desegregation. It never served overseas. Instead, in 1945 it was transferred from its base in North Carolina to rural Oregon as part of a confidential program known as Operation Firefly. In late 1944, Japanese forces had begun launching hundreds of so-called balloon bombs into the jet stream, carried across the Pacific to the U.S. mainland. After three days, they dropped their explosive payloads. Though some 300 bombs reached the United States, only six people were killed, in a single incident in May 1945. But the devices set off countless forest fires, often in rural parts of the West Coast. The U.S. government kept Operation Firefly, and the existence of the balloon bombs, a secret, to avoid stoking fear among the civilian population. Mr. Harris and his unit became the front line in fighting the blazes. Jumping from C-47 cargo planes, they wore leather football helmets with wire-mesh face masks and carried a brace of firefighting tools, including the Pulaski, a specialized tool that combines an ax and an adze. They were trained to aim for trees, to avoid landing in dangerously rugged territory. Among their gear was a 50-foot rope that they would use to drop to the ground after getting snared in branches. Mr. Harris performed 72 jumps, fighting fires started by the bombs as well as by lightning and other natural causes. He was honorably discharged in late 1945. The Army was desegregated in 1947, and the 555th was incorporated into the 82nd Airborne Division. Joe Harris was born on June 19, 1916, in Westdale, a small town in northwest Louisiana. Before joining the Army he was a truck driver. After leaving the Army, Mr. Harris moved to Compton, Calif., where he worked for the Border Patrol. He is survived by his son, Pirate Joe Harris; his daughters, Michaun Harris and Latanya Pittman; and five grandchildren. His wife, Louise Harris, died in 1981. Unlike another all-Black unit during World War II, the famed Tuskegee Airmen, the Triple Nickles long remained obscure, though in recent decades veterans groups have begun to celebrate them. In January a group of Marine Corps veterans and wildland firefighters visited Mr. Harris at his home in Compton. They presented him with a paratrooper patch and a Pulaski.
