The Merchant Ship " S.S. President Harrison " was a Steam driven Passenger Merchant Ship.   It was built in 1921 by the Dollar Steamship Company and first named the " Wolverine State " and in 1922 renamed the " S.S. President Harrison ".

         On the morning of December 4, 1941, with a crew of " 154 " plus " 1 " passenger, the " President Harrison " was en-route from Manila, Philippine Islands to Ching-wang-tao, China with orders to pick up around " 300 Marines " of the Peking and Tientsin Legation Guard and some 1400 tons of equipment and return to Manila.

         On December 7, 1941, while still en-route, they received a Radio Message that " the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor ".   The ship's master, Orel A. Pierson, at that point decided to make for the extreme north Pacific and eventually back to some safe Pacific Coast port.

         However they were soon discovered by a Japanese bomber and a Japanese mail boat.   Soon after that they were also being tracked by a Japanese Destroyer.

         Master Pierson's first objective was to protect his crew.   His second objective was to do his best to disable the " President Harrison " so that the Japanese could not capture and use it .... and he decided to try to run it a ground which he did on Shaweishan Island.

         The crew manned the life boats and started the process of getting everyone off the ship.   One of the life boats was caught up in the port propeller's wake and capsized with the loss of three of the crew.

         The crew that made it to the Island all became " POW's of the Japanese army ".

         The Japanese were able to get the ship refloated and back to one of their shipyards and first renamed the ship " Kakko Maru ".   They soon renamed the ship the " Kachidoki Maru ".   On September 12, 1944 while carrying " 900 " British Prisoners of War the " Kachidoki Maru " was torpedoed and sunk by the U.S.S. Pampanito ( SS-383 ).

The following below list was created in the memory of those who
" Gave Their All "
from the
" S.S. President Harrison ! "

         There are personal " Online Memorials " for each of these honored men that were created for them by using the " Find A Grave Website ".   On the " Majority " of the online memorials you will see a small biography for each soldier which may include:

Parent's, Grandparent's & Sibling's Names,
where & when they were born,
where they grew up,
when & where they enlisted in the service,
the military unit they were part of,
" AND "
where and how they actually died during the war !

If you see one without a biography, picture, or you have more information on them please send me an Email at

russpickde@comcast.net - ( or by clicking here )

I'll update their records as quickly as possible .....

Special Thanks To Find A Grave Member :
" Rebecca Ewing Peterson "
                    For her great help locating burials  ~  record updates  ~  Merchant Marine Research
                    " AND " researching " Overseas Burials " !

MM     =  Awarded the " Mariner's Medal "
               ( Awarded for being wounded, Missing or Killed In Action )

MM *   =  Awarded the " Combat Bar ( Ribbon ) "
               ( Awarded to those who served under combat conditions )

MM **  =  Awarded the " Combat Star "
                ( Awarded to those who are forced to abandon ship when attacked or damaged )

PMM   =  Awarded the " Mariner's Prisoner of War Medal "
               ( Awarded to Mariner's held as prisoners of war during World War II )

PH      =  Awarded the " Purple Heart "
               ( Awarded to soldiers & sailors for being Wounded and/or Killed in action )

Other Medals  =  Such as Good Conduct Medals, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medals, American Defense Service Medals, etc. " Are Not " included in this listing.

  =  Picture of person shown on online memorial.

  =  Picture of tombstone shown on online memorial.

An " n/a " in the " Photo, Awards, or Notes Area " means that they are not available for that Mariner, Soldier or Sailor .....

Cenotaph  =  A memorial stone only  ~  " OR "  ~  Remains not recovered  ~  " OR "  ~  Interred somewhere unknown.