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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

David Hodge
6 min readOct 4, 2024
JACSON C. PHARRIS (TB-39–5), 12 MAY 2023, 0641 HRS (personal photo).

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.

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David Hodge
David Hodge

Written by David Hodge

Retired Navy Musician, I'm now a Community Relations Manager in Pearl Harbor. I'm also a woodworker and a guy that's always putting something together.

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