Harkison Thomas Samuel, Jr.

Name:

Thomas Samuel, Jr. Harkison

Rank:

Second Lieutenant

Serial Number:

O-716121

Unit:

512th Fighter Squadron, 406th Fighter Group

Date of Death:

1944-12-02

State:

South Dakota

Cemetery:

Woodlawn Cemetery, Sioux Falls, Minnehaha County, South Dakota

Plot:

Section Crown Hill 3rd Add On

Row:

Grave:

Decoration:

Comments:

Thomas Samuel Harkison, Jr. was born on December 20, 1923. He was the son of Thomas S. Harkison and Mildred M. Harkison.

Thomas was a graduate of Washington High School and attended Augustana College and South Dakota State College before enlisting in the Army Air Force in February 1943.

Thomas served in the 512th Fighter Squadron, 406th Fighter Group, as a Fighter Pilot during World War II. He was Killed in Action on December 2, 1944, in Mogues, France, aboard P47D #42-28918.

On that day, 2Lt Harkison took off from A-80 airfield in Mourmelon-le-Grand, France, on a mission to Saarbruck / Ensdorf / Fraulautern sector in Germany. In-flight, due to poor visibility, the mission was canceled, and they were ordered to land on Rouvres airfield. The four planes of the section having exceeded the airfield of Rouvres, descended below the clouds to turn around, but three planes crashed in the commune of Mogues, including 2Lt Harkison's plane.

2Lt Harkison was initially buried in Belgium and then transferred in 1949. His final resting place is in the Woodlawn Cemetery, Sioux Falls, Minnehaha County, South Dakota, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, francecrashes39-45.net