HARRIS EARL R. Dec. 18, 1944 age 20 MIA/FOD Typhoon Cobra

EARL ROBERT HARRIS b. June 14, 1924 Highland Park d. Dec 18, 1944 Missing in Action/Finding of Death Philippine Islands Typhoon Cobra

Seaman 1c, Gunners Mate 3c 3122618 Navy 3^rd Fleet USS Spence DD-512

 

Buried Ft. Wm McKinley Tablets of the Missing, Manila

 
Parents: Earl Fitzhugh & Viola
Siblings: Marjorie Anne, Lonnie R.
 

Earl Fitzhugh was born in North Carolina, where he returned in retirement. Viola was born in Ohio. Sadly the senior Earl was retired 10 years when he died in accident in Hendersonville, N.C. in 1964; he was watched workman construct a cloverleaf on Interstate 26 when a dump truck driver, unable to see Earl, backed over him. He was 66.

17149 Gore

The father was a Detroit Police Officer. In 1930 they rented a duplex at 17149 Gore. This house was our back neighbor when I grew up! In the 1950s-60s the Pellicci family lived in the duplex along with grandparents.  Crossman’s lived next door in the white house. It is eerie that young Earl lived in a house I’m familiar with. In the 1940’s they rented a home at 22171 Ulster in sight of Redford high, then in the 1940’s moved to 17623 Hayden.

 

 

 

Earl registered 30 June 1942, 5’6”, 145 lbs with gray eyes and brown hair. He worked for Standard Die Cast Co. the Navy was his choice and he served on the destroyer USS Spence. After an overhaul at San Francisco the ship went to the western Pacific in early Nov. 1944. The Spence escorted a Task Force of 38 carriers as they delivered air attackes in the Philippines. The storm broke at dawn on Dec 17^th with a wind velocity estimate at 130 mph. 200 miles NE of Samar. The vessels attempted to refuel at seas but conditions made this action impossible. On Dec 18 at about 9 am the steering gear was damaged and the ship became unmanageable. Low on fuel and so less stable than normal the ship suffered electrical and steering casualties, rolled deeply to port, and capsized. After just 3 hours she sank with her crew of 341 including the commanding officer. Just 24 survived.

USS Spence Survivors