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The White Boats of Pearl Harbor: Unveiling the Heroic Stories Behind Their Names
Chapter 5: TB-39–5, JACKSON C. PHARRIS
BORN — Born and raised in Columbus, Georgia (Muscogee County) on June 26, 1912, the oldest of five children.
MARKED MOMENT — He joined the U.S. Navy on April 25, 1933, and after basic training, reported to the battleship USS California (BB-44) as a Gunner.
DEC. 7, 1941 — as a Warrant Officer, Pharris led a repair party on board the California during the attack.
PREWAR SERVICE
After his first tour on board the California, Pharris reported to the battleship Mississippi (BB-41), also part of the Pacific Fleet. In January 1941, he returned to California when the Mississippi transferred to the Atlantic Fleet.
SETTING THE SCENE
As a Warrant Officer, he had additional duties as leader of a Repair Party, responsible for damage control and emergency repairs on the ship. Torpedo damage caused the loss of electric power for the ammunition lifts, so Pharris directed a group of men to hand-carry anti-aircraft ammunition. They manually passed it up to the guns on the main deck, from the magazines located three decks below.