The Harms papers consist of manuscript material, graphics, ephemera and books relating to George W. and Marguerite Harms during the mid 20th century, particularly relating to George's service in the Pacific Theater in World War II.
The manuscript documents in the Harms papers provide an official record of George Harms' service with the Marines during the Second World War. The manuscript material is sparse, consisting of his service record and a small number of miscellaneous documents, but the collection includes a number of photographs taken by Harms and his friends while in the Pacific that provide a personal perspective on the war. The most touching -- and most difficult -- items in the collection are a photograph of a soldier's children taken from a Japanese soldier killed on Okinawa, a picture of Harms and Okinawan children saved from committing suicide when the Americans captured the island, and an image recording Japanese atrocities on Guam, 1944.
Equally interesting are George Harms' pre-war photograph albums, one documenting in the national championship year he enjoyed with his American Legion team, 1936, and another recording a trip to New York City in the late 1930s.
An avid and highly talented baseball player in his youth, George Walter Harms (b. 1921) played baseball for the University of Michigan and served as captain of the team. Among the highlights of his career was playing on the 1936 American Legion national champion team, filling in as battery mate for Hal Newhouser, later a great professional player with the Detroit Tigers.
Harms was signed to join a professional team when he was called to serve in the Pacific with the Marine Corps in July, 1943. He joined the 4th Marine Raiders, which was reorganized as the 6th Division in April, 1944, and served exclusively in the brutal Pacific Theatre. Surviving the assault and capture of Guam, the Marianas Islands, and Okinawa, Harms served with distinction, earning the Bronze Star "for heroic achievement in connection with operations against the Japanese enemy on Okinawa, Shima, Ryukyu Islands... While serving as a sergeant guide of a rifle platoon of a Marine rifle company, Sergeant Harms, on 24 May 1945... led his platoon... to seize a ridge infested with enemy riflemen and mortars."
At Okinawa, Harms was wounded, abruptly terminating his plans to resume a baseball career upon his discharge. As a member of the reactivated 4th Marine Regiment, he participated in the initial occupation of Japan.
