Posted by: Kim_Hamilton on 02/07/2011 10:27 AM
Updated by: Kim_Hamilton on 02/07/2011 11:34 AM
Expires: 01/01/2016 12:00 AM
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In Loving Memory of Harry E. Graham March 4,1920-January 29,2011
Amador County, CA....Born in Badaxe Michigan on March 4, 1920 Harry was the second oldest of seven children. His family soon moved to Pontiac Michigan where Harry grew up and went to high school. Harry's father died when he was 13 years old and his family was poor. Soon Harry joined the CCC Civilian Conservation Corp where he built park benches and drove a fire truck.....
Interesting story: When H.G Wells "War of the Worlds" was played on the radio, it started as a news announcement. Harry and his brothers were listening to the radio and (like a lot of people) thought it was real and loaded into the family car and were off the see the Martians.
Harry started out to join the Army but they were full so he joined the Army Air Corp. Harry ended up in England in 1942 where he worked as an engine mechanic on B-17s and B-24s. While in London one day he met a sergeant in the Royal Air Force - Mary Malcolm, who was soon to become Mary Graham.
Mary came back to the States to live with Harry's Mother in Pontiac Michigan, there Harry junior was born.
Meanwhile back in England, Harry Sr. had graduated from mechanic to crew chief on a B-17. He was on many famous bomb runs including the ball bearing factory in Swinefort, and the firebombing of Dresden. He has a piece of shrapnel that he picked out of his boot. It had come through the side of the B-17 and lodged between his cold weather boot and his inner boot. Harry had some interesting stories of his flying days. There was an electrical fire in the bomb bay on his B-17. They tried to blow the fire out by opening the bomb bay doors, but it didn't help, so Harry climbed into the bomb bay with a fire extinguisher to try to put it out. Harry had emptied two extinguishers before he realized he was on a catwalk between rows of bombs over an open bomb bay with no parachute.
Another story, his B-17 had lost an engine and was behind the squadron flying in its vapor trails. They had turned off the guns in the aircraft (they were electric) to conserve power to keep up with the squadron. As crew chief, he manned the center gun turret. He was sitting in his turret when he looked up and saw three Me 262's, the German jet fighter. Harry jumped out of the turret and turned the guns back on and by the time he got back the 262's were gone. They took out the Pathfinder and the Squadron leader.
After the war Harry and family lived in Rapid City, then Fort Wayne, then Japan, then Fort Campbell, then Fort Knox, then Okinawa, then England, then Cape Cod. While at Otis Harry was in charge of transporting President Kennedy between Otis AFB and Hyannis Port. Harry retired from the Air Force as a Chief Warrant Officer, while stationed at Otis AFB on Cape Cod.
Harry retired to Florida to sit in the sun. That soon got boring, so he joined Project AUTEC on Andros Island in the Caribbean. He was a SCUBA diver for the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center. He would retrieve test torpedoes from the sea. Harry would ride out to the test area in a helicopter. When they found the torpedo he would jump from the flying helicopter and attach a harness to the torpedo. They would dip the skid into the water and Harry would climb back on board and they would tow the torpedo back to base.
In 1967, Harry and Mary moved back to England and settled in Norfolk, near where he had been stationed during the war. While in England, Harry worked a number of jobs including working for Lotus Cars where he in charge of building the interior of a prototype Express Cruiser that Lotus was thinking of building. He actually worked one on one with Colin Chapman in designing the cockpit of the boat.
Eventually Harry and Mary moved to Shipston-on-Stour in Warwickshire, in the Midlands. Harry noticed that the Seniors had no way to get into town. He borrowed an old van that the County Council had, and would drive around and pick up seniors and take them to town or the doctors. After a while, Harry set up routes, schedules and arranged volunteer drivers. Before not too long the Shipston Link was born. The bus service was such a success that Harry was recognized by the Crown. He was awarded a MBE, a Member of the British Empire, signed by the Queen and presented by the Princess Royal (Princess Margaret).
Harry and Mary moved to Valley Springs to be close to Harry Jr and his family. After Mary's passing Harry moved to Oak Shadows where he also passed on.
Harry was preceded in death by his brothers Reid and Frank. He is survived by his brothers John, Charles, Robert, his sister Caroline and his son Harry Jr.
The Memorial Service is scheduled for February 12th at 11AM at the Oak Shadows Club House here in San Andreas at 1330 Calaveritas Rd.
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