Interview with Ivan Burl Harris [6/6/2002]

Larry Ordner:

This tape is made June 6th, 2002, with Ivan Burl Harris. Mr. Harris resides at 601 East Clark in Owensville, Indiana. He was born in Montgomery Township of Gibson County. He served in the United States Army Mechanized Calvary as a T-4 from October 1942 until August 1945. He's a recipient of two purple hearts. This tape is made at the senior center in Princeton, Indiana, with Larry Ordner from Senator Richard Lugar's office. Mr. Harris, you were a 20--20-year-old young kid--

Ivan Burl Harris:

Yes.

Larry Ordner:

--living in Gibson County. And--and were you in a rural area, were you working--or did you have a farm-- your family have a farm--

Ivan Burl Harris:

No. I--

Larry Ordner:

--or what did you do?

Ivan Burl Harris:

--lived in Owensville--

Larry Ordner:

Ah-huh.

Ivan Burl Harris:

--until I went into the service.

Larry Ordner:

What was it like when--when the draft notice arrived?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Well, I was kind of expecting it.

Larry Ordner:

What was--what was the reaction at home, do you remember?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Well, they--they approved it. They--I was ready to go.

Larry Ordner:

Um-hum. Where did you go to, do you recall, for induction?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Fort Benjamin Harrison.

Larry Ordner:

Fort Benjamin Harrison. Uh-huh.

Ivan Burl Harris:

In Indianapolis.

Larry Ordner:

Uh-huh. So you had like a physical probably there?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Yes.

Larry Ordner:

And then where--where did they send you for boot training?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Camp Livingston, Louisiana.

Larry Ordner:

In Louisiana. What was boot training like for you? How rigorous was that time?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Well, it was pretty rigorous, but young like that I was in pretty good shape. But--

Larry Ordner:

Um-hum.

Ivan Burl Harris:

--I didn't what you'd say enjoyed it, but it was not too bad.

Larry Ordner:

Was--was army life a pretty big adjustment for you? What was--

Ivan Burl Harris:

To some extent.

Larry Ordner:

What was it like adapting to that?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Well, to some extent, but it had some good _____ times. I think it was good. Just learned to keep your mouth shut and do as yous told.

Larry Ordner:

Uh-huh. What was your fir-- outside of boot camp, what was your first assignment out of boot camp, do you remember?

Ivan Burl Harris:

I know I went to radio school at Fort Riley, Kansas, after my basic training.

Larry Ordner:

How--how did--

Ivan Burl Harris:

Basic training instead of boot camp.

Larry Ordner:

Okay.

Ivan Burl Harris:

It's the same thing.

Larry Ordner:

How was it decided what kind of training you would have, do you know?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Well, I think the test I took in Indianapolis kinda leaned that a way some way.

Larry Ordner:

Um-hum.

Ivan Burl Harris:

I had 12 weeks at Fort Riley, Kansas.

Larry Ordner:

Um-hum. What was radio school like? Was it radio school or did you say radar?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Radio school.

Larry Ordner:

Radio school. What was that like?

Ivan Burl Harris:

It was real interesting. Morris Code, you learned that.

Larry Ordner:

Um-hum.

Ivan Burl Harris:

You had to pass 16 words a minute before you got your--could leave or got your--made it, and that's what I did.

Larry Ordner:

Um-hum. When you left radio school, what was your assignment then?

Ivan Burl Harris:

I was a radio operator in an armored car.

Larry Ordner:

And where was that?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Well, all the way from Camp Livingston we went to Fort Hood, Texas, and then from Fort Hood, Texas, we went overseas.

Larry Ordner:

Hum. Where--do you recall where you left from to go overseas? Did you leave from New York?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Camp Servinks (ph).

Larry Ordner:

What kind of a ship did you go on?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Just a regular troop ship.

Larry Ordner:

Was--was it a--was it a commercial ship that had been pressed into service --

Ivan Burl Harris:

I think so.

Larry Ordner:

--what was--or was it an army ship?

Ivan Burl Harris:

I think it's commercial ship, but I'm not sure.

Larry Ordner:

I know some men have told me that there--there--in some cases there could have been up to five to seven thousand men on some of those ships.

Ivan Burl Harris:

Um-hum.

Larry Ordner:

Were--were you guys pretty much packed on that ship pretty heavy?

Ivan Burl Harris:

More or less.

Larry Ordner:

Uh-huh. What was it like going across the Atlantic in--in tight quarters for several days?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Well, it's--

Larry Ordner:

Do you remember much about that trip?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Well, quite a bit. There was a lot of sea sickness. I was fortunate. I never really got down to have to stay in my bunk any, but a lot of times I missed a meal or two.

Larry Ordner:

Hum. Were there any fears when you were going across that--that you might be hit with something?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Not really, no.

Larry Ordner:

I know because sometimes some of the ships I always heard had to do the zigzag course to get there.

Ivan Burl Harris:

No, I don't think we had any trouble.

Larry Ordner:

Um-hum. Were you escorted? Was your ship escorted?

Ivan Burl Harris:

I think so.

Larry Ordner:

Um-hum.

Ivan Burl Harris:

I'm not sure.

Larry Ordner:

Um-hum. Where did you land in Europe?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Scotland. We were going through Scotland to Lee Castle, England, where we took some more training before we went over to Normandy.

Larry Ordner:

Hum. So were you part of that initial invasion?

Ivan Burl Harris:

No. We went over in--

Larry Ordner:

Oh, that was in port yet.

Ivan Burl Harris:

--in June of--June the 29th I think is when we crossed the English Channel and our ship hit a mine. That's where I was injured first. I was--I had to go to the hospital for a week or less. That's when I got my first purple heart.

Larry Ordner:

Ah-huh. Can you tell me what exactly happened? The ship hit a mine. But what--how--how--was it like--was it something like a depth charge kind of a thing?

Ivan Burl Harris:

I think so because we were--had escorts. And it wasn't supposed to happen, but it did.

Larry Ordner:

What kind of--of damage did the ship sustain?

Ivan Burl Harris:

I don't think it ever did sink but it listed and they had to pull it back. I don't know whether there--

Larry Ordner:

Were there a lot of injuries on the ship?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Not too many. There was--I'd say there was a dozen of us that was injured and I know there was one death.

Larry Ordner:

Can you tell me what--what was the extent of your injuries? Do you remember what happened to you--

Ivan Burl Harris:

Well, I was--

Larry Ordner:

--or where were you actually when it happened?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Well, I was on a bunk, and when the bottom dropped out of where I got 'uner (ph) the bunk and went down in the hole.

Larry Ordner:

Hum.

Ivan Burl Harris:

And my back and I had a bump on the head and my shoulder, but they were really minor.

Larry Ordner:

Um-hum.

Ivan Burl Harris:

But they had to send you to the hospital to check you out.

Larry Ordner:

Um-hum. Ultimately did the ship have to return to England or did it go ahead and cross or was it completely disabled at that time?

Ivan Burl Harris:

I think it was disabled.

Larry Ordner:

What about the men--what--how did you end up getting off that ship at that time?

Ivan Burl Harris:

LSD came along--

Larry Ordner:

Okay.

Ivan Burl Harris:

--picked us up.

Larry Ordner:

Do you think most of the crew were actually brought off the ship at that time?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Yes.

Larry Ordner:

Were they? So you were back in England--

Ivan Burl Harris:

Yes.

Larry Ordner:

--for--and you had a period of recovery. Did you--did you--were you--did you get to come--have a leave--

Ivan Burl Harris:

No.

Larry Ordner:

--at that time at all?

Ivan Burl Harris:

No.

Larry Ordner:

So you--you went to a hospital and got--got fixed up; right?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Right.

Larry Ordner:

And then was it back into service again?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Yeah. We regrouped and went back to the ________smith Channel again--

Larry Ordner:

Hum.

Ivan Burl Harris:

--and France.

Larry Ordner:

Wow. So once you reached French soil, what was your activity then? Where--where did you go once you got to France?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Well, I was, like I say, a radio operator in an armored car and (?I just got?) ______ + France and just had got into Germany about--we got in Christmas Eve and I was--got my second wound in--January the 8th, 1945.

Larry Ordner:

And that was in Germany?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Germany.

Larry Ordner:

Can you tell me what happened that time? What--what were you--what was your activity in--in Germany at that time?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Well, we were--the truck was kind of stalled and we was just kind of outposting. And I was, like I said, a radio operator and I was--went up to relieve the other operator and a shell came in and shrapnel went through my stomach.

Larry Ordner:

Hum.

Ivan Burl Harris:

And I went back into an old shed where we were--kind of had that outpost. And shrapnel went in here and I couldn't feel over here. It hadn't came out, that it hadn't penetrated the skin. But I told them to get on the radio and get the medics up there.

Larry Ordner:

Um-hum. Was anyone else injured during that?

Ivan Burl Harris:

No.

Larry Ordner:

So you--

Ivan Burl Harris:

I was the only one.

Larry Ordner:

The only one at that time.

Ivan Burl Harris:

It was--they took me in the ambulance to--back to the field hospital and I was operated on that same afternoon late.

Larry Ordner:

Were you operated on at the field hospital?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Yes.

Larry Ordner:

Do you remember anything about what those hospitals were--were like?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Well, they were--

Larry Ordner:

They op--I guess these were literally tents--

Ivan Burl Harris:

Right.

Larry Ordner:

--set up in--in--off the--near--relatively close to combat conditions, weren't they?

Ivan Burl Harris:

I was injured about 1:30 in the afternoon. I was operated on about 5:30 that same afternoon.

Larry Ordner:

Hum.

Ivan Burl Harris:

And when the--

Larry Ordner:

And that was a pretty serious surgery to be in a--

Ivan Burl Harris:

That's right.

Larry Ordner:

--combat hospital.

Ivan Burl Harris:

I had a good doctor. And he told me the next day or two after I come to, which back then they gave you ether which you have.

Larry Ordner:

Uh-huh.

Ivan Burl Harris:

And that's kind of hard on you because it makes you so dry. But he--the first thing he said is you got a million dollar wound he says so you won't have to ever go back to the front.

Larry Ordner:

Hum.

Ivan Burl Harris:

Just sent you home.

Larry Ordner:

Yeah. What about--how did the folks at home get word of your injury--

Ivan Burl Harris:

Well--

Larry Ordner:

--do you know?

Ivan Burl Harris:

--Miliary knock on your door.

Larry Ordner:

Uh-huh. I guess sometimes those knocks on the door were-- were probably pretty frightening though--

Ivan Burl Harris:

Right.

Larry Ordner:

--weren't they?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Yeah. But the doctor said when he cut me open--I got the scar from here far down. He said the first thing he done was to help my appendix. The shrapnel cut my appendix off. And he laid my--the intestines out on the table and snipped out the bad part and put them back in. And I had a colostomy.

Larry Ordner:

Um-hum.

Ivan Burl Harris:

That part of your intestines are outside--

Larry Ordner:

Um-hum.

Ivan Burl Harris:

--where you move your bowels.

Larry Ordner:

Uh-hum.

Ivan Burl Harris:

And I was--that was there for about three months--

Larry Ordner:

Um-hum.

Ivan Burl Harris:

--until it healed up inside--

Larry Ordner:

Um-hum.

Ivan Burl Harris:

--and they could send me back to England and--

Larry Ordner:

So you had a--did you have a recovery period in England--

Ivan Burl Harris:

Yes.

Larry Ordner:

--at a hospital there?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Yes. About three months.

Larry Ordner:

And I assume that there were lots of Allies-- various Allied groups there at that hospital--

Ivan Burl Harris:

Right.

Larry Ordner:

--weren't there?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Yeah. On this one ward that I was in they had about 16 that was colostomy patients. Had some good surgeons and awful good nurses.

Larry Ordner:

How long were you a patient there roughly?

Ivan Burl Harris:

About two-and-a-half months.

Larry Ordner:

Two-and-a-half months. Did you get to come home after that?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Yeah. They put me on a hospital ship.

Larry Ordner:

Did--did the folks at home know you were on your way home?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Yes.

Larry Ordner:

And they were--they were advised of that.

Ivan Burl Harris:

Yes.

Larry Ordner:

So did you--did you land back in New York?

Ivan Burl Harris:

No. I went--

Larry Ordner:

No?

Ivan Burl Harris:

--to South Carolina.

Larry Ordner:

South Carolina.

Ivan Burl Harris:

Um-hum. From there they sent me to--back to Camp Hattleferry (ph), Lakeland Hospital.

Larry Ordner:

Were you physically able just to go by normal means? Did you--did you go by train or bus?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Train from South Carolina to--

Larry Ordner:

To Indianapolis.

Ivan Burl Harris:

--Indianapolis.

Larry Ordner:

Hum.

Ivan Burl Harris:

And I was there and about four--three-and-a-half, four months and (?I got the Springfield invitation?).

Larry Ordner:

Uh-huh. And then--then--then you were formally discharged?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Discharged on August the 7th, 1945.

Larry Ordner:

Let's see. The war--in August 1945 then when you were discharged was the war still going at that time?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Yes. It--

Larry Ordner:

Things were--had--there had not been the--the bombing in Japan at that time--

Ivan Burl Harris:

No.

Larry Ordner:

--had there?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Uh-huh.

Larry Ordner:

Where were you when you heard about the--the atomic bomb, do you recall?

Ivan Burl Harris:

I think I was home. I think I had been discharged.

Larry Ordner:

Uh-huh. What--what did you think when you finally heard that? Did you--did--did anybody comprehend what had actually been dropped there?

Ivan Burl Harris:

I don't think so, no.

Larry Ordner:

Do you remember what you--what your thoughts were when you heard that?

Ivan Burl Harris:

It was kind of hard to believe that--that's kind of--so many civilians and all were--was killed, too, but that's the only way to stop a war sometimes.

Larry Ordner:

Yeah. I've heard so many men that were--were in the Pacific say in--in past interviews that they all thought they were headed for Japanese invasion.

Ivan Burl Harris:

Yeah.

Larry Ordner:

And so many were en route or so many were back at Pearl Harbor just waiting to go.

Ivan Burl Harris:

Yeah.

Larry Ordner:

And then they got word of that. And in many cases they were out there in--in the Pacific and turned around and went back to port. I guess everyone pretty much thought the war was over at that time.

Ivan Burl Harris:

That's right.

Larry Ordner:

When you got home, were you able to use the GI bill in any way?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Yes. I went to Linotype school.

Larry Ordner:

And where was that at?

Ivan Burl Harris:

In Ankcious (ph) Indiana.

Larry Ordner:

Huh.

Ivan Burl Harris:

And I worked for a hometown newspaper, weekly newspaper, for 21 years as a Linotype operator. And then when the newspaper went to cold type, got away from Linotype, I got on at the post office as a flexible clerk for about ten years.

Larry Ordner:

Um-hum.

Ivan Burl Harris:

And that was my work ______.

Larry Ordner:

Looking back from your time in the military and-- and your service in World War II, how do you look back at that time and feel what the U.S. was able to accomplish during World War II?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Well, it was--it had to be done. And when you first get out, you don't want to talk about it too much _____ +. The age I'm like now I don't mind--

Larry Ordner:

Um-hum.

Ivan Burl Harris:

--giving my opinion on things.

Larry Ordner:

Um-hum. Did--did--do you think that the war--did it affect your--the way you started to look at things differently you think or do you feel like you came back a different person in some ways?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Oh, yes.

Larry Ordner:

Any--any thoughts about that you could tell me?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Well, I was--got a medic--medical discharge. I was a hundred percent disabled for some time, and, of course, they lowered it later on. But the government treated me pretty good--

Larry Ordner:

Um-hum.

Ivan Burl Harris:

--that a way.

Larry Ordner:

Are you still--are you still--are you able to make use of veterans facilities now for any medical care--

Ivan Burl Harris:

Well--

Larry Ordner:

--or do you?

Ivan Burl Harris:

--I don't use it, but I could.

Larry Ordner:

Um-hum.

Ivan Burl Harris:

But I kept my--some of my GI insurance, (?just let premiums build up and kept up over twelve thousand dollars?)--

Larry Ordner:

Um-hum.

Ivan Burl Harris:

--in full health.

Larry Ordner:

Um-hum. Is there anything else you'd want to add before we end?

Ivan Burl Harris:

Not about the military I don't think.

Larry Ordner:

Okay.

Ivan Burl Harris:

I might mention my family.

Larry Ordner:

Please do.

Ivan Burl Harris:

I was married to a lovely lady in '46. For ten year ______ + and played.

Larry Ordner:

Okay.

Ivan Burl Harris:

We have two daughters, one in Colorado and one in Owensville close to us. And I was pretty active in the Owensville Methodist Church for several years, of course slowed down now some but-- And one of the things I'm kind of proud of, but for 45 years I've helped put flags on veterans' graves in (our) Owensville.

Larry Ordner:

Um-hum.

Ivan Burl Harris:

This last Memorial Day, just about a week or so ago, we put out 230, and (?on the Redberger (ph)?) Park and Recreation Board there in Owensville for 15 years and still on the cemetery board. But the Lord's been good to me, protected me. I have a lot to be thankful for.

Larry Ordner:

Um-hum. Thank you.

Ivan Burl Harris:

Thank you.

Larry Ordner:

I appreciate your doing this.

Ivan Burl Harris:

Well, good.