Major General William Allen Harris was born into a military family, Feb. 3, 1911, in Ilo Ilo, Philippines, where his father was serving. While his father was stationed in San Antonio, Harris was a student at the old Main Avenue High School. After a year at Virginia Military Institute, Harris transferred to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he graduated in 1933 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the field artillery.
After serving in various stateside artillery units in World War II (per a biography at the Fort Sam Houston Museum), Harris was assigned to a section that planned cover and deception operations, such as Operation Fortitude, related to the D-Day invasion at Normandy, France. Having been involved in high-level tactical planning, Harris landed June 6, 1944, on Utah Beach.
After service in the Pentagon, Harris commanded the 77th Field Artillery Battalion in Japan and Korea. During the Korean War, he led the 7th Cavalry Regiment in the breakout from the Pusan Perimeter, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. After the war, Harris studied and taught at the Army War College, then took command of a succession of artillery units stateside and in Germany. In 1964, he was assigned as deputy commanding general of the 4th Army and commanding general of Fort Sam Houston, where he served until he retired in 1966.
Harris remained in San Antonio and used his administrative skills as a member, officer or organizer of a variety of local civic organizations: the San Antonio Conservation Society, Bexar County Historical Commission, Texas Historical Commission, Texas Old Missions and Forts Restoration Association (which supported preservation of San Antonio's Spanish Colonial Missions), the USO, Goodwill Rehabilitation Services, Boy Scouts and the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.
By the mid-1970s, Harris had become a prominent local preservationist and served as chairman of the Bexar County Historical Commission, then called the Bexar County Historic Survey Committee.
"He was tremendously interested in history," says local historian Maria Watson Pfeiffer, a member of the committee at that time. "This was in the 1970s when San Antonio was just beginning to boom, and there were many preservation issues and projects." Harris worked closely with the local historic preservation movement, says Pfeiffer, "to focus public attention on our past." Harris also helped to establish the Bexar County Historical Foundation, "and was particularly devoted to the idea of a regional history repository."
Harris died at 75 in San Antonio; there is a memorial to him at Eisenhower Park, the city natural area developed on surplus land from the Army's nearby Camp Bullis. The park opened March 5, 1988, with a Harris Pavilion Complex and an observation platform at the end of the park's Cedar Flats Trail.
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DSC Citation
The President of the United States of America, under the provisions of the Act of Congress approved July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Lieutenant Colonel (Field Artillery) William Allen Harris (ASN: 0-18976), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving as Commanding Officer of the 7th Cavalry Regiment (Task Force 777), 1st Cavalry Division. Lieutenant Colonel Harris distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces in the vicinity of Hambung-ni, Korea, on the night of 26 - 27 September 1950. Task Force 777, a regimental combat team, was proceeding on a combat mission when it was ambushed by a hostile force of ten tanks, supported by infantry. The tanks moved directly into the friendly column, firing rapidly, smashing vehicles and equipment and disorganizing the friendly troops. Colonel Harris, realizing the perilous situation of his unit, immediately went toward the head of the column, completely disregarding the intense enemy fire. He quickly evaluated the situation, then personally reorganized his men and led them in a counterattack. Inspired by the dauntless actions of their commander, the men overwhelmed the enemy force, knocked out the ten tanks, destroyed five artillery pieces, and captured twelve enemy trucks. The extraordinary heroism and fearless leadership of Colonel Harris were directly responsible for the annihilation of the enemy force.
Contributor: BarryC (47806468)
After serving in various stateside artillery units in World War II (per a biography at the Fort Sam Houston Museum), Harris was assigned to a section that planned cover and deception operations, such as Operation Fortitude, related to the D-Day invasion at Normandy, France. Having been involved in high-level tactical planning, Harris landed June 6, 1944, on Utah Beach.
After service in the Pentagon, Harris commanded the 77th Field Artillery Battalion in Japan and Korea. During the Korean War, he led the 7th Cavalry Regiment in the breakout from the Pusan Perimeter, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. After the war, Harris studied and taught at the Army War College, then took command of a succession of artillery units stateside and in Germany. In 1964, he was assigned as deputy commanding general of the 4th Army and commanding general of Fort Sam Houston, where he served until he retired in 1966.
Harris remained in San Antonio and used his administrative skills as a member, officer or organizer of a variety of local civic organizations: the San Antonio Conservation Society, Bexar County Historical Commission, Texas Historical Commission, Texas Old Missions and Forts Restoration Association (which supported preservation of San Antonio's Spanish Colonial Missions), the USO, Goodwill Rehabilitation Services, Boy Scouts and the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.
By the mid-1970s, Harris had become a prominent local preservationist and served as chairman of the Bexar County Historical Commission, then called the Bexar County Historic Survey Committee.
"He was tremendously interested in history," says local historian Maria Watson Pfeiffer, a member of the committee at that time. "This was in the 1970s when San Antonio was just beginning to boom, and there were many preservation issues and projects." Harris worked closely with the local historic preservation movement, says Pfeiffer, "to focus public attention on our past." Harris also helped to establish the Bexar County Historical Foundation, "and was particularly devoted to the idea of a regional history repository."
Harris died at 75 in San Antonio; there is a memorial to him at Eisenhower Park, the city natural area developed on surplus land from the Army's nearby Camp Bullis. The park opened March 5, 1988, with a Harris Pavilion Complex and an observation platform at the end of the park's Cedar Flats Trail.
_____________________________________________
DSC Citation
The President of the United States of America, under the provisions of the Act of Congress approved July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Lieutenant Colonel (Field Artillery) William Allen Harris (ASN: 0-18976), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving as Commanding Officer of the 7th Cavalry Regiment (Task Force 777), 1st Cavalry Division. Lieutenant Colonel Harris distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces in the vicinity of Hambung-ni, Korea, on the night of 26 - 27 September 1950. Task Force 777, a regimental combat team, was proceeding on a combat mission when it was ambushed by a hostile force of ten tanks, supported by infantry. The tanks moved directly into the friendly column, firing rapidly, smashing vehicles and equipment and disorganizing the friendly troops. Colonel Harris, realizing the perilous situation of his unit, immediately went toward the head of the column, completely disregarding the intense enemy fire. He quickly evaluated the situation, then personally reorganized his men and led them in a counterattack. Inspired by the dauntless actions of their commander, the men overwhelmed the enemy force, knocked out the ten tanks, destroyed five artillery pieces, and captured twelve enemy trucks. The extraordinary heroism and fearless leadership of Colonel Harris were directly responsible for the annihilation of the enemy force.
Contributor: BarryC (47806468)
Major General William Allen Harris was born into a military family, Feb. 3, 1911, in Ilo Ilo, Philippines, where his father was serving. While his father was stationed in San Antonio, Harris was a student at the old Main Avenue High School. After a year at Virginia Military Institute, Harris transferred to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he graduated in 1933 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the field artillery.
After serving in various stateside artillery units in World War II (per a biography at the Fort Sam Houston Museum), Harris was assigned to a section that planned cover and deception operations, such as Operation Fortitude, related to the D-Day invasion at Normandy, France. Having been involved in high-level tactical planning, Harris landed June 6, 1944, on Utah Beach.
After service in the Pentagon, Harris commanded the 77th Field Artillery Battalion in Japan and Korea. During the Korean War, he led the 7th Cavalry Regiment in the breakout from the Pusan Perimeter, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. After the war, Harris studied and taught at the Army War College, then took command of a succession of artillery units stateside and in Germany. In 1964, he was assigned as deputy commanding general of the 4th Army and commanding general of Fort Sam Houston, where he served until he retired in 1966.
Harris remained in San Antonio and used his administrative skills as a member, officer or organizer of a variety of local civic organizations: the San Antonio Conservation Society, Bexar County Historical Commission, Texas Historical Commission, Texas Old Missions and Forts Restoration Association (which supported preservation of San Antonio's Spanish Colonial Missions), the USO, Goodwill Rehabilitation Services, Boy Scouts and the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.
By the mid-1970s, Harris had become a prominent local preservationist and served as chairman of the Bexar County Historical Commission, then called the Bexar County Historic Survey Committee.
"He was tremendously interested in history," says local historian Maria Watson Pfeiffer, a member of the committee at that time. "This was in the 1970s when San Antonio was just beginning to boom, and there were many preservation issues and projects." Harris worked closely with the local historic preservation movement, says Pfeiffer, "to focus public attention on our past." Harris also helped to establish the Bexar County Historical Foundation, "and was particularly devoted to the idea of a regional history repository."
Harris died at 75 in San Antonio; there is a memorial to him at Eisenhower Park, the city natural area developed on surplus land from the Army's nearby Camp Bullis. The park opened March 5, 1988, with a Harris Pavilion Complex and an observation platform at the end of the park's Cedar Flats Trail.
_____________________________________________
DSC Citation
The President of the United States of America, under the provisions of the Act of Congress approved July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Lieutenant Colonel (Field Artillery) William Allen Harris (ASN: 0-18976), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving as Commanding Officer of the 7th Cavalry Regiment (Task Force 777), 1st Cavalry Division. Lieutenant Colonel Harris distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces in the vicinity of Hambung-ni, Korea, on the night of 26 - 27 September 1950. Task Force 777, a regimental combat team, was proceeding on a combat mission when it was ambushed by a hostile force of ten tanks, supported by infantry. The tanks moved directly into the friendly column, firing rapidly, smashing vehicles and equipment and disorganizing the friendly troops. Colonel Harris, realizing the perilous situation of his unit, immediately went toward the head of the column, completely disregarding the intense enemy fire. He quickly evaluated the situation, then personally reorganized his men and led them in a counterattack. Inspired by the dauntless actions of their commander, the men overwhelmed the enemy force, knocked out the ten tanks, destroyed five artillery pieces, and captured twelve enemy trucks. The extraordinary heroism and fearless leadership of Colonel Harris were directly responsible for the annihilation of the enemy force.
Contributor: BarryC (47806468)
After serving in various stateside artillery units in World War II (per a biography at the Fort Sam Houston Museum), Harris was assigned to a section that planned cover and deception operations, such as Operation Fortitude, related to the D-Day invasion at Normandy, France. Having been involved in high-level tactical planning, Harris landed June 6, 1944, on Utah Beach.
After service in the Pentagon, Harris commanded the 77th Field Artillery Battalion in Japan and Korea. During the Korean War, he led the 7th Cavalry Regiment in the breakout from the Pusan Perimeter, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. After the war, Harris studied and taught at the Army War College, then took command of a succession of artillery units stateside and in Germany. In 1964, he was assigned as deputy commanding general of the 4th Army and commanding general of Fort Sam Houston, where he served until he retired in 1966.
Harris remained in San Antonio and used his administrative skills as a member, officer or organizer of a variety of local civic organizations: the San Antonio Conservation Society, Bexar County Historical Commission, Texas Historical Commission, Texas Old Missions and Forts Restoration Association (which supported preservation of San Antonio's Spanish Colonial Missions), the USO, Goodwill Rehabilitation Services, Boy Scouts and the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.
By the mid-1970s, Harris had become a prominent local preservationist and served as chairman of the Bexar County Historical Commission, then called the Bexar County Historic Survey Committee.
"He was tremendously interested in history," says local historian Maria Watson Pfeiffer, a member of the committee at that time. "This was in the 1970s when San Antonio was just beginning to boom, and there were many preservation issues and projects." Harris worked closely with the local historic preservation movement, says Pfeiffer, "to focus public attention on our past." Harris also helped to establish the Bexar County Historical Foundation, "and was particularly devoted to the idea of a regional history repository."
Harris died at 75 in San Antonio; there is a memorial to him at Eisenhower Park, the city natural area developed on surplus land from the Army's nearby Camp Bullis. The park opened March 5, 1988, with a Harris Pavilion Complex and an observation platform at the end of the park's Cedar Flats Trail.
_____________________________________________
DSC Citation
The President of the United States of America, under the provisions of the Act of Congress approved July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Lieutenant Colonel (Field Artillery) William Allen Harris (ASN: 0-18976), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United Nations while serving as Commanding Officer of the 7th Cavalry Regiment (Task Force 777), 1st Cavalry Division. Lieutenant Colonel Harris distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces in the vicinity of Hambung-ni, Korea, on the night of 26 - 27 September 1950. Task Force 777, a regimental combat team, was proceeding on a combat mission when it was ambushed by a hostile force of ten tanks, supported by infantry. The tanks moved directly into the friendly column, firing rapidly, smashing vehicles and equipment and disorganizing the friendly troops. Colonel Harris, realizing the perilous situation of his unit, immediately went toward the head of the column, completely disregarding the intense enemy fire. He quickly evaluated the situation, then personally reorganized his men and led them in a counterattack. Inspired by the dauntless actions of their commander, the men overwhelmed the enemy force, knocked out the ten tanks, destroyed five artillery pieces, and captured twelve enemy trucks. The extraordinary heroism and fearless leadership of Colonel Harris were directly responsible for the annihilation of the enemy force.
Contributor: BarryC (47806468)
Gravesite Details
MAJ GEN US Army, World War II, Korea
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