US Navy Fireman 1st Class James "Jim" William Harter was born in Milton, Florida on August 24, 1920, the son of John Leonidas Harter (1872-1938) and Jessie Margaret Jernigan (1873-1954). His father was born in Pennsylvania and raised in West Virginia. His mother was born in Milton and the daughter of Margaret Hatton Allen and James Edward Jernigan.
James was also the maternal grandson of James Edward Jernigan (1942-1913) and Margaret Hughanna Allen (1845-1917). His grandfather enlisted in Company "C" of the 3rd Battalion of Confederate cavalry as a private on September 17, 1861 in Milton. The unit served in Florida attached to the Department of the Gulf until the late summer of 1863 when it merged with the 15th Confederate Cavalry Regiment. James would serve in Company "E" of the 15th and fought throughout northwest Florida and Alabama. He was finally mustered out on September 24, 1863 although no reason was given.
In the meantime, Jim's father John would relocate to Santa Rosa County prior to 1896 where he met and married Jessie on April 26, 1896. Seven children would be born to this union. At the time of his marriage John was a mill hand who would become a house carpenter ten years later. By 1920, he was a truck driver but returned to carpentry in 1930. He would pass away prematurely in 1938 and was buried in the Milton Cemetery. Jessie would continue to provide a home at 502 Alabama Street (Phone #12 Milton Exchange) for her remaining children and was supported by her son James who was a laborer at the tar plant. Also living with her was her son-in-law Edmond Whitmire "Whit" Broxson (1907-1988) and daughter Winnie Ida (1907-2000) with Whit also a truck driver.
With jobs hard to come by and Europe already in the chaos of war, James decided to enlist in the US Navy on May 1, 1941. He was assigned to the destroyer DD-405 USS Rowan and would marry Noreen Creegan just before shipping out overseas. His ship reported to the Mediterranean where they participated in the invasion of Africa, Sicily and Italy. On September 9, 1943, she escorted the force landing on the Paestum beachhead. The next night they were sailing back to Oran while escorting the now empty transports. Just after midnight of September 11, 1943, the Rowan came under attack by three German E-Boats (similar to American PT-boats) but were able to fight them off during a half hour surface battle. Afterwards, she was returning to the convoy when she again came under attack by a fourth E-Boat at 3,000 yards. As she turned to attack, the Rowan was struck amidships by an enemy torpedo that tore into her magazine. The explosion was so tremendous that the destroyer rolled over and sank in forty seconds. Her crew topside was thrown into the water, most likely saving what few survivors there were. All those below decks, including 1st Class machinist mate Jim Harter, went down to a watery grave with his ship. In all, there was only 71 survivors of the crew of 273 officers and enlisted men.
In Milton, Harter's widowed mother and wife Noreen Ann Creegan (1922-1976) were notified that Jim was now "missing in action." After waiting one year and a day, the US Navy sent a telegram to his family that he was now "officially dead." Sadly, his body was never recovered, so the Harter family gathered to place a memorial stone in his honor in the Milton Cemetery. The young Milton sailor was survived by his widowed mother Jessie, his wife Noreen, and his siblings Margaret "Maggie" Cassandra (1897-1981) (Mellon), Mary Alice (1900-1991) (Chavers), Sarah Leonidas "Leo" (1905-1998) (Broxson), Winnie Ida (1907-2000) (Broxson), and John Laurie Harter (1910-1987).
As for his wife Noreen, she would remarry William O'Brien Parkins (1919-1987) in Chelan, Washington in 1947. Noreen would pass away on February 12, 1976 in East Boston, Massachusetts and was buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery in Everett, Massachusetts.
Comments