Edward Earl Harris was born at Santa Fe, Maury, Tennessee, the son of Thomas Clint Harris and Mary “Mollie” Adkins Pardue. Husband of Verna Dixie Lee Worley.
Shipped aboard USS Skill AM-115, a minesweeper assigned to the Mediterranean. The Skill participated in the Salerno, Italy, invasion and was on station in the area. On 25 September 1943 the Skill had just returned from escort duty and was assigned a patrol station in the Gulf of Salerno. At 11h40 not long after taking station, her forward magazine exploded and blew the Skill in half, sinking about 20 minutes later. Of the 103 officers and men only 32 survived. After the war it was learned that the Skill was sunk by U-593 KptLt Gerd Kelbling. U-593 was sunk 13 December 1943 with no crew casualties.
Memorialized at the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery, Nettuno, Italy.
Wife: Mrs. Verna Lee Harris, 3819 Longview Avenue, Chattanooga
- Rank: Motor Machinists Mate Second Class
- Date of birth: 27 September 1909
- Date of death: 25 September 1943
- County: Hamilton
- Hometown: Chattanooga
- Service Branch: Navy
- Division/Assignment: USS Skill (AM-115)
- Theater: Europe
- Conflict: World War II
- Awards: Purple Heart
- Burial/Memorial Location: Sicily-Rome American Cemetery, Nettuno, Italy
- Location In Memorial: Pillar XI, Top Panel
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