Captain James W. Harrison II - Continued
In 1944 he crossed the Atlantic
aboard the Queen Mary and joined the Allied air campaign over Europe.
Flying from England and later advancing airfields in France, he supported the
liberation of Western Europe as Allied forces pushed steadily toward Germany.
On his twenty-fifth combat mission, only about fifty miles inside the German
border, his P-47 Thunderbolt was shot down by enemy fire. As he bailed out of
the crippled aircraft, he was struck by one of its wings but miraculously
survived, and his parachute deployed successfully before he was captured by German
forces. After interrogation, he spent the remainder of the war as a prisoner at
Stalag Luft I until his liberation in May 1945.
James returned home with
experiences that few could fully understand, carrying memories of both the
exhilaration of aerial combat and the hardship of captivity. Years before his
death in 2010, he recorded his wartime memories on videotape, preserving a remarkable
firsthand account that became the foundation for the story presented here. His
journey—from an Ohio farm boy to fighter pilot, prisoner of war, and
survivor—stands as a testament to determination, courage, and an unwavering
commitment to serve his country.
