PEARCE, Harry Ash, Jr. – b. October 16, 1922 – d. December 26, 2009

[Marcia Moore]

Harry Ash Pearce, 87, of Hanover, KS died Saturday, Dec. 26, 2009 at his home.  A memorial service was held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 31 at the American Legion in Hanover.  Rev. Jack Kirk officiated.  Mae Nieman, organist, accompanied Shelly Polson while she sang "The Lords Prayer" and "Hero."  Burial was in the Hanover Cemetery.  Pallbearers were members of the Marine Corps League.  Charles Liles played the bagpipes, Lee Hynek played "Taps," and military honors were by the Marine Honor Guard of Topeka, KS.

Harry's survivors include four daughters, Patricia Mueller (Larry), Sharon Nicholson (Larry), all of Hanover, Susan Stuchlik (Larry), Hillsboro, KS, and Debra Hopkins (Lyndon), Bremen; eight grandchildren, Kim, Ryan, Eric, Melissa, Kelli, Brooke, Taylor and Hunter; and five great-grandchildren, Ariel, Anna, Ashley, Kylie and Blake.

Harry Ash Pearce, Jr., was born on Oct. 16, 1922 in Milford, Delaware to Harry Ash and Helena (Evans) Pearce.  He grew up in Moline, KS and graduated from Moline High School with the class of 1940. He attended Kansas State University and was in his 2nd year when Pearl Harbor was bombed in 1942.  He decided then to drop out of school and get married to his college sweetheart, June Francis Burton.  They were married June 12, 1942 in Baton Rouge, LA.  He worked as a telegrapher at Harding Air Base in Baton Rouge, La., sending and receiving coded messages regarding numbers of airplanes on base, serial numbers, and repair work being done and when they would be in service.  Because this job was going to prevent him from going into the service, he quit and enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1942 as a 20 year old.  He was sent to San Diego, CA, for boot camp and spent nearly two years learning telephone, radio and radar operations before being transferred to the 4th Marine Division in 1944.

Harry served in the U.S Marine Corps as a demolition specialist in Easy Co., 2nd Battalion, 23rd Regiment, 4th Marine Division, and made first wave landings on Roi-Namur the Marshall Islands, Saipan-Tinian in the Mariannes Islands, and Iwo Jima in the Volcanic Islands.  Harry's division was sent first to the Marshall Islands in the Pacific, but then returned to its home base on the island of Maui in Hawaii. They were in Hawaii on their way to see combat in May 1944 when approximately 29 tank landing ships were lined up near Pearl Harbor preparing for a massive attack on the Japanese held island of Saipan and a LST exploded when trucks small arms and hundreds of gallons of fuel were being loaded.  A chain reaction of explosions sent flaming shards of steel into the air. Thick black smoke billowed into the air, while oil slicks crept across the water.  Navy sailors and Marines scattered, while some attempted in vain to extinguish the increasing number of fires.  Harry rescued about 20 navy men who were drowning and set up a first aid station.  For his actions, he was awarded the Legion of Merit.

Following fighting on Saipan and other islands, less than 30 of the 294 men originally in Harry's company had not been killed or wounded.  By the time his division left for Iwo Jima in February 1945, and Harry had been promoted to sergeant but he barely knew any of the men serving with him.  Harry was on Iwo Jima when a bullet hit him in the shoulder and passed through his back.  A Japanese soldier ran toward him and stabbed him twice with his bayonet, once in the base of the neck into his chest and again in his forearm, and left him for dead.  A medical officer came by and treated Harry, but he passed out and other soldiers passing by thought he was dead.  They covered him with a poncho and stuck his rifle in the sand beside him, his helmet on the rifle.  This is the mark of a dead Marine.  He later was found and sent to a military hospital in Honolulu and then to California where he was honorably discharged with the rank of staff Sergeant.  His Division in the Marine Corps was one of the most highly decorated Unit Citations among others.  Harry received three Purple Hearts for bravery.

Harry received many military honors while serving his country. Three purple hearts; West Lochs, Pearl Harbor, May 21, 1944; Saipan, July 1944; Iwo Jima, February, 1945; Legion of Merit Medal for actions in West Lochs; Pearl Harbor, May 21, 1944; Silver Star Medal for actions in Saipan, July 1945; and Marine Corps Ribbons, Navy Unit Citation, Marine Combat Ribbon, Presidential Unit Citation with two stars, Navy Marine Corps Ribbon, Good Conduct Ribbon, American Theatre Ribbon, Asiatic Pacific Ribbon with four stars, World War II Victory Ribbon, Iwo Jima Ribbon and Marine Corps Service Ribbon.

Harry returned to college at Kansas State University where he majored in geology.  He went to work for an oil company, then a natural gas company before starting his own consulting business, living in Oklahoma City, OK and later in Sedan, KS.  He and his wife, June, had 4 daughters, Pat, Susan, Sharon and Debra. The family enjoyed camping, vacations together and just being together.  Harry was a loving father who was always a step ahead of his teenage daughters.  He always seemed to appear in places they shouldn't be to bring them back home. He encouraged his daughters to get good educations and be self sufficient, but was always there for them when they needed advice or just some of his time.

As a hobby, Harry loved the outdoors, doing a lot of fishing and hunting.  He was also a rock hound.  Always looking for Indian arrow heads, pottery, and rocks he could polish.  He found many raw gemstone rocks in his oil career.  He learned to make jewelry and made very fine gem jewelry for his family and others.  Being an outdoorsman, Harry decided to start a small farm where he could grow grapes and then adding a few berry plants such as raspberries, strawberries and blackberries.  It quickly grew to be one of the biggest berry farms in Kansas.  As an outlet for the fruit, he began the Sedan Jelly Company and sold his fruit to other businesses as well.  Harry retired in 1990 and he and his wife June moved to Bellingham, WA where they lived for several years.  As June started to have poor health and their children were all in Kansas, Harry and June moved back to Manhattan in 1998.  In 2000 they moved to Hanover to be near their daughters. June passed away in 2003.

In 2004 Harry was prompted continually by his grandson Ryan to write a book about his experiences in the service and with the help of his grandson and daughters, wrote his story.  He is the author of a book titled Star Shells, Condoms & Ka-bars, which highlights his World War II experiences.  Harry was interviewed 6 years ago by the Texas Tech Viet Nam Memorial Museum and his story was put into their history museum.  Harry has helped dedicate a park and federal building in Port Angeles, WA and has been a speaker at several Navy reunions, recognizing a fellow Marine who saved his and another soldiers life by sacrificing his own.  His loves were always God, Country, the Marines and his Loving family.  

A memorial fund has been established and will be designated at a later date. Contributions may be sent in care of the Hanover Mortuary.

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