James McLaurin Harrison was a member of the United States Navy Reserve. He enlisted in World War II on July 3, 1943 in Hattiesburg and was ranked a Seaman First Class. Following his enlistment, he completed his boot camp at Great Lakes, Illinois.
Navy Service
James McLaurin Harrison was first received on board the U.S.S. Louisville CA-28, but soon after, transferred to RECSTA Pearl FFA by Service Force, United States Pacific Fleet on September 30, 1943.
According to the muster roll, Mac was received on board to the U.S.S. Indianapolis, flagship of the 5th fleet, on October 8, 1943. The ship sailed from Pearl Harbor on November 10, 1943 for Operation Galvanic and engaged in the invasion of the Gilbert Islands. Nine days later, she bombarded Tarawa and the next day attacked Makin. The ship then returned to Tarawa and acted as a fire-support ship for the landings, continuing to do so until the islands were secured three days later.
The U.S.S. Indianapolis also helped in Operation Flintlock, a scheme to capture the Marshall and Mariana Islands. The ship assembled with other ships of her task force at Tarawa, and on January 31, 1944, Indy was assigned the role to invade the islands of Kwajalein Atoll. They entered Kwajalein Lagoon on February 4 and stayed there until the enemy was defeated. Throughout March and April 1944, they participated in Asiatic-Pacific Raids in the Western Carolines, Palau, Yap, Ulithi, Aleutian Islands, and Woleai. The main target was to attack shipping, and they did so successfully, sinking three destroyers, seventeen freighters, five oilers and damaging seventeen other ships. Throughout three days, Yap, Ulithi, and Woleai were invaded from March 31 through April 2 without damaging any of the American ships. During these days, Indianapolis shot down her second plane and a torpedo bomber. In June 1944, she engaged in the Marianas assault, in which the Indy played an important role in surface bombardment. On D-Day, the Indy received a report that a large fleet of battleships, carriers, cruisers, and destroyers was traveling near to relieve their positions in the Marianas. However, the ship did not travel far away in case they were called for backup. Later, the U.S.S. Indianapolis participated in the Battle of Saipan on June 15, 1944. In addition, she joined the Battle of the Philippine Sea, known as the "Marianas Turkey Shoot." On this day, the Navy destroyed 402 enemy planes while only losing 17 American planes. The U.S.S Indianapolis, which had operated with the force which struck Iwo Jima and Chichi Jima, shot down one torpedo plane. Soon after, Indianapolis returned to Saipan on June 23 to assist in fire support and six days later, they moved back to Tinian to secure the lands. On August 9, 1944, the ship left port in Saipan heading to Apra Harbor. Notably, the Indianapolis was the first ship to enter Apra Harbor since it had fallen to the enemy early in the war. The ship cruised back and forth between Guam and the Western Carolines over the following two weeks, supporting both the Guam and Tinian operations. They also participated in the Peleliu invasion in September 1944. Then, they sailed to Manus in the Admiralty Islands where she worked for ten days before returning to the Mare Island Navy Yard.
On November 1, 1944, James McLaurin Harrison received a change of rating from Seaman Second Class to Seaman First Class, authorized by the Bureau of Naval Personnel.
The U.S.S. Indianapolis joined Admiral Mitscher’s carrier task force on February 14, 1945 two days before it made the first attack on Tokyo in three years. Throughout this attack, Indy played the part as a vital support system. Immediately after, the U.S.S. Indianapolis participated in the bombardment of Iwo Jima in February 1945 until March 1, 1945. The ship then returned to Admiral Mitscher's task force to strike Tokyo again on February 25 and Hachijo off the southern coast of Honshu the next day. Indianapolis, with the carrier force, departed to Ulithi on March 14, 1945. Ten days later, before the invasion of Okinawa began, the ship attacked Okinawa beach defenses. Indianapolis successfully shot down six planes and assisted in splashing two others. But the day before the invasion officially started, on March 31, 1945, the Indianapolis was hit in the stern by a Japanese kamikaze pilot, crashing through the mess hall. The shot blew two gaping holes in the ship bottom and flooded compartments in the area, killing nine American sailors. The inspector revealed that the shot had destroyed propeller shafts, ruptured fuel tanks, and ruined water-distilling equipment. Due to the damage, the ship was then taken back to Mare Island, California and was overhauled. After the overhaul was complete, the U.S.S. Indianapolis was given a top secret mission, which would be her last mission: transporting enriched uranium and other materials for the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima to a naval base on the Pacific island of Tinian.