Glenn Alton Harrison
Glenn Alton Harrison was born on 11-MAR 1920 in Guymon, Oklahoma. His father was David Alton Harrison (1877-1963) and his mother was Dora Rogers Harrison (1888-1929). Glen had one brother: Jake (1909-1993) and one sister: Christine (1916-1989). By 1930, the family was living in Guymon Oklahoma. Glenn was now 10.
According to the 1940 Federal Census, Glenn was living in Guymon Oklahoma, attending college, in his second year, and was an unpaid family worker. Glen attended Oklahoma A&M University, and later Central Oklahoma State University at Edmond.
Glen enlisted in the Army Air Corps on 8-NOV 1941. His service number was 18052989. With the war’s outbreak Glenn accepted a commission in the U.S. Army Air Force as a 2nd Lieutenant. Glenn was shipped overseas to join up with the 96th Bomb Group, based at Snetterton-Heath, Norfolk. From Snetterton, as co-pilot of a B-17 bomber, beginning in May of 1944, Glenn flew 17 missions over enemy territory: he was shot down twice, once ditching in the English Channel, to be rescued by the British Air-Sea command.
Glenn was a distinguished and highly decorated World War II veteran of the Eighth Air Force, United States Army Air Force. Shortly after D-Day, Glenn was shot down a second time during a mission over Magdeburg, Germany. He was captured, became a POW and was shipped to Stalag Luft III, near Sagan, (present-day) Poland. As the Red Army approached Sagan, during the winter of 1944-45, the Germans forcibly marched the POWs west in an ordeal known as the “Death March”. Glenn survived, but thousands of captured flyers froze to death along the trek, which culminated at a rail line called Spremburg. From there, the Germans transported the POWs to Stalag VIIA. There, Glenn was liberated by advance units of Patton’s Third Army in April,1945.
Following repatriation home, Glenn served as a reservist and in 1950 was called back into service, this time with the 45th Infantry Division, and sent to Japan. From there his armored battery unit was transported over to Korea, where they faced brutal ground combat.
Following his service years, Glenn entered into a lengthy career as an engineer with McDonnell-Douglas (now Boeing), and devoted himself to family, church, golf, and later, in retired life, traveling the world with friends.
Glenn was the author of a book “17 Missions; Memories of a B-17 Pilot, “ and he stars as one of the eight veteran airmen narrators who documented their service in the award-winning HBO documentary “The Cold Blue.”
Glenn and Marcella Marcella Shelton Harrison (1921-2004) were married for 53 years. They had two children.
Glenn died on Sunday, 21-NOV 2021. He was 101. Glenn is buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis Mo.
Glenn Harrison, WWII pilot, was shot down twice and captured by the Germans. Read his remarkable story of his missions, imprisonment, and liberation in his own words.
