Harry McKnight was born in Detroit, Michigan in July 1926. He had an older brother. The family moved to Ohio soon afterwards. While living in Ohio, McKnight's two sisters were born. Work was difficult to find, but his father found a job making 25 dollars a month. McKnight ran track, played football, and was on the swim team in high school. After turning 18 years old, he received his draft notice. He decided he wanted to join the Marine Corps instead. McKnight did his basic training at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He met his two best friends during basic training. They did everything together. The three of them went to Camp Pendleton [Annotator's Note: near San Diego, California] for advanced training. During that time, the Battle of Iwo Jima [Annotator's Note: Iwo Jima, Japan; 19 February to 26 March 1945] was taking place. McKnight's brother was in the 5th Marine Division on the island. McKnight and his friends were put into a replacement group and sent to Guam [Annotator' Note: Guam, Mariana Islands] for the invasion of Japan. Many men got seasick on the trip over. Just before shipping out, the three Marines got pictures taken of themselves and sent them home. While on Guam, President Roosevelt [Annotator's Note: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States] died. When the Battle of Okinawa [Annotator's Note: Okinawa, Japan] started, McKnight was still on Guam. The Marines were able to land without much issue and quickly took the north side of the island. They then entered a killing field. McKnight arrived on Okinawa by 12 May 1945, while the Battle of Sugar Loaf Hill [Annotator's Note: an engagement on a prominent terrain feature in southern Okinawa] was taking place. McKnight was put into the 29th Marine Regiment. He was separated from his friends. The battle lasted eight days and ended with 1,400 dead Marines. After that battle, McKnight started moving further south. His foxhole buddy saw him shoot a Japanese soldier 400 yards away. On the southern end of the island, McKnight almost gave the password to Japanese soldiers. Another Marine stopped him and threw a hand grenade at the enemy soldiers. McKnight was a part of the last amphibious landing during the war. After the landing, one of McKnight's friends was shot in the chest. The corpsman who went out to help him was shot and killed. His friend survived the wounded and was in the hospital for eight months. His other friend Bob McTureous [Annotator’s Note: Robert M. McTureous, Jr.; Medal of Honor recipient] was also wounded during the fighting. McTureous ended up dying on the hospital ship and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor [Annotator's Note: the Medal of Honor is the highest award a United States service member can recieve who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor]. When he returned home, he visited McTureous' mother. During the fighting, McKnight set up his machine gun and dug a foxhole. McKnight's squad mate took the first round of guard duty and McKnight went to sleep. He heard his mother's voice tell him the Japanese were on their way. He woke up right before a star shell [Annotator's Note: a phosphorescent shell used to provide light over a battlefield at night] went off, allowing him to see the oncoming Japanese. One of McKnight's lieutenants wanted him to crawl up a hill behind enemy lines. He went up the wrong hill. The next night, he made it almost all of the way up the hill when he heard a noise. He thought it was a Japanese grenade, but it did not go off. At the top of the hill, McKnight saw a Japanese machine gun crew setting up. The Japanese thought they were friends until the Americans started firing. McKnight's machine gun jammed after a few rounds, so the Japanese started firing back. McKnight managed to crawl into some roots, allowing him to shoot eight of the nine Japanese troops. One of his comrades stood up and the Japanese soldier shot him. A lieutenant was also shot. Those were the last two casualties of the war for McKnight's unit. McKnight remained on Okinawa for a month before returning to Guam to begin training for the invasion of Japan.

Harry McKnight learned how to follow orders in boot camp. It helped him in battle. He was in good shape because he was an athlete. At Camp Lejeune [Annotator's Note: near Jacksonville, North Carolina], he went through a simulated jungle battle. He also learned how to thrown hand grenades. During training, McKnight did night time infiltration training. Other training included demolition, which McKnight enjoyed. It reminded him of the Fourth of July. At Camp Pendleton [Annotator's Note: near San Diego, California], he was doing target training with anything he could, including twigs and tin cans. McKnight did not smoke and would give away his cigarettes for a ride when he was on liberty [Annotator's Note: an authorized absence for a short period of time]. After the war, nobody would give him a ride. Camp Lejeune was where he took advanced infantry training. Camp Pendleton was a more technical training camp. He marched, learned how to shoot, and learned hand-to-hand combat. He trained on the Garand rifle [Annotator's Note: .30 caliber M1 semi-automatic rifle, also known as the M1 Garand]. He received his overseas orders and was sent to San Diego [Annotator's Note: San Diego, California] to prepare. While on guard duty, McKnight heard a coyote for the first time.

Harry McKnight was not smart enough to be afraid until he heard shells firing for the first time. It took time for him to understand how the shells worked. One time, a shell landed near him while he was in a ditch. Another time, McKnight saw the blast of a 20mm gun and was able to follow the track and dodge the round. Another time, he went to eat a fresh carrot, until he learned what it was fertilized with. He was almost shot by a Japanese sniper. McKnight felt lucky to leave the war without being wounded. He saw the kamikaze [Annotator's Note: Japanese suicide planes] attacks. He was told that 500 kamikazes attacked on 6 June 1945. McKnight arrived on Okinawa [Annotator's Note: Okinawa, Japan] at night. He watched the bombardment and kamikaze attacks. He did not like the idea of swimming ashore. The day he was supposed to go ashore, McKnight lost his rifle. Someone managed to get it back to him, but it was missing its front sights, so he needed to get a new one. Waiting was the hard part. He was anxious to get off of the ship because of the kamikazes. While on shore, he experienced Japanese bombing raids. The day after going ashore, McKnight started moving toward Sugar Loaf Hill [Annotator's Note: a part of the Japanese defensive line called the Shuri Line in southern Okinawa]. McKnight thought the island was pretty. The Okinawans bought tombs to put their dead in. During bombardments, the Marines would hide in the tombs. He had his K-rations [Annotator's Note: individual daily combat food ration consisting of three boxed meals] with him. They included ham and eggs, cigarettes, matches, biscuits, cheese, chocolate, and corn pork loaf. The Japanese would use children to deliver live grenades to the American lines. McKnight gave some of the corn pork loaf to some kids who entered the lines. The Japanese told the Okinawan people the Marines would rape and kill them. When the civilians actually saw the Marines, they started to like them. During the bombings, the civilians would hide in caves. Many civilians died. They did not like the Japanese. The Japanese conscripted the Okinawan children as ammunition runners, nurses, and prostitutes. McKnight gave them purified water and cigarettes. He ate his food near dead bodies. The insects were ever present. It rained for 19 days straight, but it was warm. McKnight hoped the kamikazes would be shot down before they got to the ships. He does not remember seeing American fighters going up to meet the enemy planes. He would cheer when a kamikaze was shot down. McKnight did not see any ships get hit. The picket ships would warn the rest of the fleet of oncoming enemy planes. McKnight would climb down into the landing craft and it would bring him to shore. Once there, someone would tell him where he needed to go. It was not terrifying because the sounds of battle were far away from the beach.

Harry McKnight arrived at Sugar Loaf Hill [Annotator's Note: a part of the Japanese defensive line known as the Shuri Line in southern Okinawa. Japan] after the battle had begun. Because he was a machine gunner, McKnight stayed behind the infantry and gave them cover. He could see them fall. It was hard to get the wounded out. The Marines have a tradition of not leaving the dead or wounded behind. Once the battle ended, it was difficult to walk around because of all of the bodies. It was terrible, but McKnight got used to it. Many men had breakdowns. While pinned down, one of McKnight's squad mates had a breakdown under fire. Not long after, McKnight heard a screech, silence, and a boom. McKnight saw a rocket come in and blow up the hill. The Marines would make bets on where the rockets would land. They called it a screaming Mimi [Annotator's Note: a nickname given to German multi-barrelled rocket launching system called the nebelwefer]. There was one corpsman [Annotator's Note: the Marine Corps does not have a medical unit, so it uses Navy medical personnel, or corpsmen] who was always there when people needed him. McKnight saw the corpsmen as one of them. One of the Marines was shot in the head. That Marine was nicknamed sleepy. They were sad to see him killed. On Okinawa, there is a wall of all the men who were killed on the island. When the Marines made the last amphibious invasion on the island, McKnight drew a picture of a friend. The following day, that Marine was killed. McKnight did that for another friend who was killed, so he stopped drawing for Marines. The Japanese were getting desperate and were doing more banzai attacks [Annotator's Note: mass Japanese infantry charges]. The Americans were pushing them farther south. The Marines were told not to go into the caves because they could be booby-trapped. If they came across a cave with a group of Japanese soldiers in it, the Marines would throw hand grenades inside. On 4 July 1945, McKnight attended a ceremony for the division [Annotator's Note: 6th Marine Division] cemetery. McKnight walked through the cemetery and it made him sad. More people died on Okinawa than in both atomic attacks. The banzai charges were desperate attacks. The Americans knew they were about to happen because the Japanese were very loud. Few Japanese made it to the American lines. In order to cross a river on the island, the Marines had to build a pontoon bridge called the Bailey Bridge [Annotator's Note: a portable, pre-fabricated bridge] to get across. While in high school, McKnight had a geometry teacher whose brother created the bridge. McKnight wrote a poem about the white crosses he saw in the cemetery. After returning home, McKnight did not talk about the war much. Eventually, while his wife was substitute teaching, a child made an erroneous comment about the war, which prompted McKnight to start talking about his experiences.

After Okinawa [Annotator's Note: the battle of Okinawa, Japan], Harry McKnight was sent back to Guam [Annotator's Note: Guam, Mariana Islands] to rest and reorganize. He went to the naval hospital to see his friends. He did not recognize one of them because he lost so much weight. His other friend was buried on Saipan [Annotator's Note: Saipan, Mariana Islands] until his parents had him repatriated. McKnight was preparing to load his ship when news of the atomic bombs reached him. McKnight would watch the B-29s [Annotator's Note: Boeing B-29 Superfortress very heavy bomber] leave for, and come back from, Japan. The pilots told them about the radar controlled guns on the plane. Suddenly he heard the whistles on the ships blowing because the war was over. Over the loud speakers, the Marines were told they would receive a case of beer. McKnight and a friend were drinking their beer when a storm came in and soaked them. The storm passed quickly but the Marines decided to go to sleep. That night, McKnight and his friends were bitten up by mosquitos because they did not sleep under mosquito nets. McKnight thought he was going home, but was told he would be going to China instead. The ship passed through a typhoon. McKnight landed in Tsingtao, China [Annotator's Note: now Qingdao, China]. He spent ten months in China. He enjoyed it, but wanted to go home. He did not have any problem with the Japanese in the country. They gave up their weapons to the Americans. The Japanese took anything of value from the Chinese. Children begged in the streets. McKnight asked a Chinese civilian why so many children were in the streets and the civilian explained why. If a family cannot afford to feed four kids, the oldest one was kicked out of the house. The kids ate anything that was edible. They learned how to survive on the streets. McKnight wanted to help one girl, but was told he would have to do it for all the others. He ended up getting her cleaned up and fed. McKnight tried to give her new clothes, but she would not take them. He got her different clothes and showed her some cartoons at the base. He gave another girl some candy and she invited McKnight to her family home for dinner. The family was eating twigs and whatever else they could find to eat. The Chinese had a distinct way of taking pictures. When McKnight was on Guam the first time, the island was secured, but there were still Japanese on the island. They would steal food from the Marines. One time, a Japanese soldier stole a uniform and got food from the mess hall [Annotator's Note: cafeteria]. He tried to get seconds but was discovered because the soldier did not understand English. They found a Japanese soldier 25 years later who did not know the war had ended. The Japanese soldier from the mess hall was captured. In China, the Marines had a Christmas dinner and they played sports to keep themselves busy. McKnight won the pole vault and discus games, so he was able to play in some of the regional games in Shanghai [Annotator's Note: Shanghai, China]. He saw his first escalator in Shanghai. McKnight met a Chinese girl who spoke better English than he did. On Christmas Eve [Annotator's Note: 24 December 1945], McKnight decided to go for a walk in the snow. A little boy showed up next to him and told him Merry Christmas. McKnight would go to restaurants to eat and drink. He was warned about lepers and other diseases.

The first thing that happened to Harry McKnight when he reached boot camp was a haircut. He was then given a rifle and taught how to drill. One time while being shown how to drill, McKnight and a friend were used as examples on how to drill. McKnight messed up a drill and the drill instructor hit him. A few days later while marching, someone asked for a drink. The sergeant made them pour their water on the ground. At night, recruits would sleep on their cots, not under their covers. McKnight's drill sergeant woke them up early in the morning to drill. He accidently dropped his rifle, which got him in trouble. On another occasion, the sergeant made the recruits pick up every cigarette butt on the ground. The sergeants would make them do odd things if they failed to follow the strict rules of boot camp. One of McKnight's friends locked his keys in his locker and the sergeant made him march around the room with his locker on his head. The day boot camp ended, McKnight saw his drill instructor tear up because he knew the new Marines would be sent overseas soon. McKnight did not know where his drill instructor served. McKnight returned home on leave [Annotator's Note: an authorized absence for a short period of time]. His friend picked him up from the train station and he surprised his family. He enjoyed being home, but wanted to return to camp and go to war. His first meal at home was fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and gravy. McKnight was at Camp Lejeune [Annotator's Note: near Jacksonville, North Carolina] for Thanksgiving [Annotator's Note: 23 November 1944]. He and his two friends had to help make the dinner. McKnight peeled the potatoes. When he returned home from Guam [Annotator's Note: Guam, Mariana Islands], McKnight found out he could be discharged in San Diego [Annotator's Note: San Diego, California]. He took a train to visit some family members in California. His uncle had been a Marine in World War 1. They took him out to dinner at a Chinese restaurant. His family wanted to hear him speak Chinese. When he went on liberty [Annotator's Note: an authorized absence for a short period of time] in California, McKnight was warned about zoot suit gangs [Annotator's Note: gangs that wore oversized suits, known as zoot suits] that liked to beat up Marines. He was told to use a sock filled with bars of soap and his belt as weapons. McKnight never had a problem with gangs. He did not get to go to The Stage Door Canteen [Annotator's Note: an entertainment venue for American and Allied servicemen that operated in the Broadway theater district of New York City during World War 2].

The war made Harry McKnight appreciate being a Marine and the freedom he has in this country [Annotator's Note: The United States of America]. He keeps in touch with his comrades. He enjoys going to reunions. His friend McTureous [Annotator's Note: Robert M. McTureous, Jr., Medal of Honor recipient], had a brother, so McKnight visited his brother after the war. At the first union he attended, McKnight was given information on the 6th Marine Division Association. He wrote to some of the Marines he served with and the family of Marines he knew. McTureous' brother got in touch with McKnight to invite him to a commemoration to McTureous. McKnight enjoyed the service and the following year he went back with another Marine friend. The two men always visited McTureous' brother when they were in Florida. [Annotator's Note: The interviewer hands the interviewee a bayonet.] McKnight would constantly sharpen his bayonet on his boot. [Annotator's Note: McKnight holds a Japanese bayonet.] The Japanese bayonet was longer. The American bayonet was easier to handle than the Japanese bayonet. McKnight thinks it is important to study World War 2 and to understand why it happened. He thinks the history books are starting to get it wrong. He thinks a mistake was made in Korea [Annotator's Note: Korean War; 1950 to 1953]. The President [Annotator's Note: Harry S. Truman, 33rd President of the United States] did not give MacArthur [Annotator's Note: General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander, Southwest Pacific Area] permission to chase the Chinese out and take control of the peninsula. He thinks it had longer lasting effects that still matter today. McKnight thinks it was a mistake that George Bush [Annotator's Note: President George H.W. Bush, 41st President of the United States] did not take out Saddam [Annotator's Note: Saddam Hussein, dictator of Iraq from 1979 to 2003] in the 1990s. He thinks the United States would not be in the Middle East had Saddam been taken out of power sooner. He wishes the politicians would just let the military do its job. He believes the reason McCain [Annotator's Note: Senator John S. McCain] was shot down was because of political decisions. McKnight thinks it is a shame that today's military members who are overseas have to write home to get things sent to them that they need.

After being discharged in August 1946, Harry McKnight went home and enrolled in the University of Ohio [Annotator's Note: Athens, Ohio]. He used the G.I. Bill, allowing him three years of college. He was on the track team and did pole vaulting, but did not play football. McKnight's brother attended Franklin University [Annotator's Note: Columbus, Ohio] and became a pilot. McKnight became a coach and a teacher. His senior year of college was not paid for so he became a photographer. He joined the Air National Guard, and after graduating from college, was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the medical service corps. He was involved in the Berlin call up [Annotators Note: Berlin Airlift, June 1948 to May 1949]. He remained in the reserves for 26 years. He was able to travel to Germany and Greece. When the Pueblo [Annotator's Note: USS Pueblo (AGER-2)] thing came up, McKnight was sent to New Mexico to train troops for the championship track meet in Texas. In 1968, McKnight was sent to Greece for NATO [Annotator's Note: North Atlantic Treaty Organization] maneuvers. He stays in touch with his military friends. McKnight's son joined the Marine Corps as a pilot. He was sent to Iraq. He was an instructor for United Airlines. McKnight was a PFC [Annotator's Note: Private First Class] when he left the Marine Corps. When he retired from the Air National Guard, he was a lieutenant colonel. When he joined the Air National Guard, the sergeant made him sweep the halls. A General saw him, saw that he was a combat veteran, and made him stop sweeping. He thinks it is important for The National WWII Museum [Annotator's Note: in New Orleans, Louisiana] to exist. McKnight has gone to many military museums, Okinawa [Annotator's Note: Okinawa, Japan], and reunions. He did not recognize Okinawa when he went back. They built many modern buildings and bulldozed many of the places he fought. McKnight visited the memorials, tunnels, and tombs. He learned about 200 Japanese girls who committed suicide. He had dreams about Okinawa for the first few years after the war. He thinks about the war often because he goes to the reunions and has many old friends. He wants the people he served with remembered.