Funeral To Honor Oldest Surviving WWII Paratrooper, Who Died At 108

INGLEWOOD, CA — Sgt. Joe Harris, who was believed to have been the oldest surviving World War II paratrooper prior to his death last month at age 108, will be laid to rest Saturday.

Harris died March 15 in a hospital in Los Angeles surrounded by family, grandson Ashton Pittman told The Associated Press. He will be honored with a full military funeral.

“He was a very loving, loving, loving man,” said Pittman. “That was one of the things that he was very strict upon was loving one another.”

Harris was a member of the U.S. Army's first all-Black parachute infantry battalion. According to WWII Beyond the Call, a nonprofit organization that documents veterans' accounts, he was among the last surviving members of the historic 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, nicknamed the Triple Nickles.

Robert L. Barlett, a retired Eastern Washington University professor who specializes in the 555th, told Associated Press that the battalion protected the U.S. from deadly Japanese balloon bombs in 1944 and 1945. These bombs were used to attack the U.S. mainland, explode and start fires.

Black Americans faced racial segregation in the military during World War II, often being regulated to support-level jobs, Barlett told AP. President Franklin Roosevelt, under pressure, later allowed Black Americans in combat units.

“This unit had to fight to be recognized as human beings while training to fight an enemy overseas, fight in their own country for respect even within the military,” Bartlett said.

That was not lost on Pittman, who said his grandfather was brave enough to serve the U.S. “during a time when the country didn’t love him, honestly, didn’t care about him.”

Harris was among hundreds of other Black men trained and sent to fight fires on the West Coast.

According to WWII Beyond The Call, Harris was born on June 19, 1916, in West Dale, Louisiana. At 24, he joined the military in 1941.

After WWII, he worked for the U.S. Border Patrol, and spent more than 60 years living in Compton. Harris is survived by his son, Pirate Joe Harris Sr., and two daughters, Michaun Harris and Latanya Pittman, and five grandchildren. His wife, Louise Harris, died in 1981.

On Saturday, Harris will be honored with a funeral ceremony at 9 a.m. Saturday at Lewis Metropolitan CME Church, 4900 S. Western Ave. A procession will depart with a WWII Willy Jeep escort at 12:30 p.m.

Harris will be laid to rest with military honors at Inglewood Park Cemetery followed by a celebration of life at 3 p.m. at his home by fellow WWII veterans, active-duty military, dignitaries, family and friends.

WWII Beyond The Call said the day will be special, with the 82nd Airborne Division from Fort Bragg in attendance, a WWII C-47 flyover, live music and reflections to commemorate Harris' life.

City News Service and The Associated Press contributed to this report.