BBS-013
Sid's N T I N S Locker || All Gave Some - Some Gave All || UDT-14 Main page
Posted on a submarine BBS New Years Eve 1997.

NEW YEARS EVE
31 December 1997
No List of Resolutions - Just A Lot To Be Glad About


This time last year I had never heard of Ron Martini, his submarine webpage or most of the other submarine pages I have since become so familiar with. In the spring of 1997 I began an intensive search of the net for references to WWII UDT units. I was looking for something on another cousin. Along the way I somehow stumbled across cousin Bob Harrison and we happily reconnected here in cyber-space. I also found this wonderful board, began posting and resurrected many old memories of those Navy Days.

Now as the year comes to a close I have recently received some of the information I sought last March.

The Harrison Not Here:
My Cousin Bill

He died a few years ago.
I knew he was a "frogman" in the Pacific and that's about all I knew. He never talked about it much. He was the oldest of all of us grandkids and was cousin Bob's older brother. He was a tall man, lean and hard with a great sense of humor and that deep voice I remember so well.
I recently received the following mail from Ned Tyler whom I had asked to help in the search of Bill's service:
    "I went to the archives today and found some 1944 muster lists from UDT-14. A William Arthur Harrison was on the team. He was an FC3, promoted to FC2(T) on Feb 1, 1945. He enlisted on December 27, 1941." 


    Addendum:
    Subsequent to obtaining this information I also received confirmation of Bill's involvement in UDT-14 from Pam and R.D. Russell from their extensive UDT/SEAL roster database. They mailed me the complete hard copy of the WWII team roster for which I am most appreciative.
    You may visit their webpage, the US Naval Special Warfare Archives.


    8 Feb, 2000 UPDATE
    More photos and information have been found about Bill's service and I have added some here.

    Also found one page with UDT-14 MEMORIAL in Kihei, Hawaii.


 
b. 1921 - d.1994
William Arthur Harrison
UDT-14  Pacific Theater 1944

IMAGES
Bob & Bill Harrison - On leave together in WW-II
Bill's Unit - UNDERWATER DEMOLITION TEAM 14
1939 Family reunion photo Bill seated L, Bob seated R., me on grd L)
Three shipmates - Bill on the right
So maybe there is a resolution to be made here.

The familial relationships of the Harrison clan is irrelevant to all of you except possibly as a droning annoyance. But ...and this is the resolution we should all make: very simply stated; let us all remind ourselves that this life is fleeting and that we should resolve to talk to old friends and relatives more frequently. Seek them out. Call them. Write them. And don't let those years slip by until it is too late. I wish I had done more "staying in touch".

I hope that 1998 is a great year for all of you.

Straight Board

Sid Harrison 


Of course being a man of few words I can only say:
HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL !!

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