Maceo Antonio Harris Jr. (1919 - 1944)

Born 18 Dec 1919 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States

Died 20 Nov 1944 at age 24 in Germany

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Biography

Lt. Maceo Harris Jr. was Killed in Action during World War II.

Maceo Harris Jr. is a Military Veteran.
Served in the United States Army Air Force 100th Fighter Squadron 1943-1944
Tuskegee Airman flying Ace

Maceo Harris Jr. was awarded the Purple Heart.

Maceo Harris Jr. is Notable.

Maceo was born in 1919. He was the son of Maceo Harris and Jessie Dobbs. ^[1]. In 1920, his family was living with his maternal grandparents and his father was employed as a policeman in Boston.^[2]. In November of that same year, his father passed quite unexpectedly from pneumonia. His mother continued to live in Boston with her two children. ^[3]. In 1940, he was living with his mother in Boston. ^[4]. He attended Northeastern University College of Engineering from 1938 to 1942. ^[5] In 1942 he enlisted in Boston and he entered the Tuskegee Army Air Field program, completing his primary training in August of 1943. He completed the program in October and was deployed overseas to serve with the 100th Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group.

On 17 Jul, 1944, Lt. Maceo A Harris, Jr. was on a bomber escort mission whose purpose was to attack railroad yards in southern France. He became separated from his group when he spotted a damaged B-24 and made the decision to protect it and guide it to a safe landing on Corsica.

In November of 1944, he was on another mission when his P-51C lost coolant and caused his plane to crash in Germany. He did not survive. Maceo is buried in Ardennes American Cemetery. ^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ "Massachusetts State Vital Records, 1841-1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QLGR-N7FV : 26 November 2019), Maceo Antonio Harris, 1919.
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFM5-DS8 : accessed 10 July 2020), Antonio M Harris, Jr in household of William H Dabbs, Boston Ward 13, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States; citing ED 341, sheet 8B, line 83, family 120, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 735; FHL microfilm 1,820,735.
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XQRQ-XMS : accessed 10 July 2020), Mario H Harris in household of Jessie M Harris, Boston (Districts 1-250), Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 213, sheet 9A, line 13, family 215, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 948; FHL microfilm 2,340,683.
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K4JR-WDC : 29 July 2019), Maceo A Harris in household of Jessie M Harris, Ward 9, Boston, Boston City, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 15-340, sheet 17A, line 40, family 469, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 1667.
5. ↑ The Boston Globe, 2 Sep 1943, pg 8.
6. ↑ https://www.abmc.gov/decedent-search/harris%3Dmaceo