WWII Vet in Laurel looks back on 100 years
John Harrison in the kitchen of his Laurel home Tuesday, the week before his 100th birthday. (Credit: Steve Wick)
As he nears his 100th birthday, John Harrison looks back and sees nothing but good fortune. From growing up in Brooklyn to his marriage in 1943, while he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, it’s all been a great journey.
“I attribute it all to my Irish luck,” he said.
Perhaps the most dramatic chapter in his long life were the months he spent on a Navy vessel during the battle over the island of Iwo Jima in February and March 1945 and the subsequent air attacks on the Japanese mainland by American planes.