<p>
Major <em>Charles F. Harrison Jr.,</em> was born in Leesburg, Virginia on September 28, 1910, the son of Charles Fauntleroy and Mary Fendall Harrison. He was educated at the Leesburg High School, Stuyvesant School in Warrenton, and V.M.I., and was graduated from the U.S.M.A. For five years Major Harrison was stationed at Fort Clark, Texas -with the 6th Cavalry—and while there was sent three summers to Camp Perry in Ohio to represent the 5th Cavalry in the Rifle and Pistol Matches. He won many medals among them the Distinguished Pistol Badge—which is the highest honor the Army gives a pistol marksman.</p>
<p>
In 1939 he was transferred to the Chemical Warfare Department and stationed at Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland, where he served until June, 1941, when he went to the Philippines. From December 7th he fought on Bataan until the surrender in April—when he was taken prisoner and kept in Cabanatua, O’Donnell, and Davao Prison Camps. On May 31, 1944, he attempted to escape, was overpowered and taken to a Japanese guard house, where he was killed by the prison authorities.</p>
<p>
The following are letters received from two of his friends—fellow prisoners of war in the Philippines. The first is from Major L. G. Miles:</p>
<p>
“Charlie and I went to the Philippines on the same transport, the <em>President Pieree</em>. A few of us started to have our nightly poker games and that is where Charlie and I became very good friends. Charlie was at that time a Captain and I was a First Lieutenant who had been on active duty for about a year.</p>
<p>
“On landing in Manila Charlie was stationed at Ft. Santiago and lived in downtown Manila, just off of Dewey Blvd. in an apartment over the Paris Restaurant. He also bought a Packard automobile, about a block long and it made about 3 miles to the gallon of gas. Vintage of about ‘28. Charlie and I also had a mutual interest in flying. We rented a plane from Nichols Field about 10 days before the war and went flying over Mindoro. That afternoon when we got back I borrowed Charlie’s movie camera and took some movies that week and mailed them out, but they never got home.</p>
<p>
“When the war broke Charlie was given the command of the 12th Sep. Chemical Co., promoted to Major and assigned to the headquarters of the Philippine Division. In Bataan Charlie was with the 2nd Corps and I was with the 1st Corps so I saw Charlie only once. At that time he was carrying a tommy-gun, his pearl-handled pistol, and about 6 hand grenades. It seemed that his command had been dissolved and Charlie was on his own, and his own was to visit the front lines and indulge in the sport of killing Japs. I later heard quite a few stories about Charlie. He certainly got his share of Japs.</p>
<p>
“When Bataan surrendered Charlie didn’t, he took to the hills to carry on a one man war. On his second night out he crawled in a panay-stack (rice straw) to sleep. The next morning he was awakened by the boot of a Jap soldier and looked up to see four Jap rifles looking down at him. Charlie was trussed up and taken to Bilibid in Manila and a few days later was at Camp O’Donnell where we were in the same barracks.</p>
<p>
“The story of O’Donnell and those first few months at Cabanatuan can’t be told here. Mr. Harrison, I lack the command of written (and spoken) English to tell it. But I guess you have read newspaper accounts. Charlie and I were moved to Cabanatuan about the 1st week In June, 1942. One time when I had had several attacks of malaria Charlie gave me a can of Chinese B-1 Compound. Heaven only knows where he got it, but it was priceless. Finally the day came late in October when a detail was leaving camp. Charlie figured that anything was better than Cabanatuan so he volunteered to go. I was too weak from malaria to go anywhere. I remember quite well Charlie’s last handshake and last goodbye. The rest is the story I got from the boys when they returned from Davao in June of ‘44. Charlie and two others had planned to escape. Charlie was to knock out the guard in the rope room, one of the others to get the guard at the door and the third fellow carry the food and water. At the agreed time Charlie attacked and knocked out his guard. The second fellow did not attack his guard so Charlie was committed and trapped even before he started. Charlie was overpowered and taken to Jap headquarters. The next morning it was announced by Jap headquarters that Charlie was killed while trying to escape. This happened in March or April of ‘44, I can’t remember. When the story was told to me I wasn’t paying too much attention to details. My mind was struggling with the fact I’d never see Charlie again.”</p>
<p>
The second is from Col. W. A. Orr—Class of 1938—U.S. Military Academy:</p>
<p>
“Major Charles F. Harrison, Jr., and I were in the same headquarters from the beginning of hostilities on 7 December 1941 until the surrender of Bataan on 9 April 1942. We were together in O’Donnell and Cabanatuan Prison Camps until October of 1942. The following is a biography of him between 7 December 1941 until October of 1942.</p>
<p>
“Prior to 7 December 1941, Charley was stationed at Fort William McKinley, P. I. in command of the 12th Separate Chemical Co., assigned to the Philippine Division (P. I.). On the outbreak of war he was assigned to Headquarters of that Division as Division Chemical Officer and withdrew with it to Bataan on 11 December 1941. He served in this capacity until the surrender of Bataan on 9 April 1942. Charley did not surrender to the Japanese with his Headquarters but withdrew into the hills of Central Bataan with an American enlisted man where he remained for four or five days until he was picked up by a Japanese patrol. He then marched to San Fernando, Pampanga, from where he was transferred to O’Donnell Prison Camp on or about 24 May 1942. He remained there for several weeks, and then volunteered to take charge of a group of American enlisted men who were sent out on a work detail to Bataan. This was a job that was not sought for as many of the men on former details to various parts of Luzon were being returned to O’Donnell suffering from the effects of malaria and malnutrition. Charley subsequently returned from this detail to Cabanatuan Prison Camp, where he remained until October of 1942, when he was transferred with a group of prisoners to Mindanao.</p>
<p>
“Charley will always be remembered for his love for the Army, his loyalty to duty, his courage, his self-sacrifice and his generosity to others in times of adversity.”</p>
<p>
“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:<br />
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.<br />
At the going down of the sun and in the morning<br />
We will remember them.”</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>
</p>