Parents
Frederick Anderson Harrington was born in Meridian, Mississippi on September 21st, 1923 to James Samuel Harrington and Hallie Anderson Harrington. |
Fred’s father, James, was born on February 7th, 1886. He worked as a manager at a sawmill before Fred was born, at a general store when Fred was a boy, and then later in a chair factory in Mississippi. James passed away at the age of 77 on November 17th, 1963. He is buried at Magnolia Cemetery in Meridian, Mississippi.
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Fred’s mother, Hallie, was born on May 18th, 1891 in Increase, Lauderdale County, Mississippi. Hallie birthed six children. All five of her sons volunteered for military service. Because of her sons’ service (and for some of them, sacrifice), she was selected as a Gold Star Mother and was made Meridian Mississippi’s Mother for 1943. In the Meridian Star newspaper, the following short poem was listed for Hallie Anderson:
“The bravest battle that ever was fought / Shall I tell you were and when? / On the maps of the world you find it not / But was fought by the mothers of men.” Hallie donated her time and effort to the ongoing war conflict as well, but in a much safer job in the comfort of her home country. She wore the “Blue Uniform” of the Red Cross canteen worker and served at the Key Field base operations. She was a “radiant Christian” in her community and was one who lived for others. In an interview taken place shortly after receiving this award, Hallie said, “I have faith in you young people. You have never failed us and I am sure you will not fail now in this crisis which presents the greatest problem which you or your elders have ever confronted. Throughout my life I have been a Christian, have trusted God have attended Sunday school and church and have tried in my humble way to obey His teachings. I have always found Him sufficient to meet all my needs and if you young people will only give Him a chance He will mean as much to you. The Christian life is the only on which brings peace and happiness. My message on this Mother’s Day is that we all turn our hearts and thoughts more to the lowly Nazarene and try more zealously to do God’s will. When we in this community and throughout America give God a more dominant place in our lives, then we can expect Him to do more for us.” She lived a long life, to the age of 100, surviving three out of six of her own children. Hallie passed away November 9th, 1991. She is buried at the Magnolia Cemetery in Meridian, Mississippi. |
Dr. John N. Harrington was born on August 9th, 1920. John attended and graduated from Meridian High. He was a member of the 114 FA, 31st Division of the Mississippi National Guard. He was later assigned to Officer Candidate School in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where he graduated and was commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant. John transferred over to the US Army Air Corps, where he later received his pilot training at the B-17 school at Sebring, Florida. John was assigned to the 96th Bomb Squadron, 2nd Bomb Group in Foggia, Italy. He flew bombing missions over Northern Italy, Hungary, Yugoslavia, and Rumania until he was shot down over Vienna, Austria on July 16th, 1944. For the next 10 months, John was a Nazi prisoner and was kept as a POW at Stalag Luft I in Barth, Germany. John was liberated by the Russians in May 1945. While imprisoned as a POW in Germany, John discovered his love for medicine and got his bachelor’s in science from the University of Alabama and later received his M.D. from Tulane in 1951. He then served as an Air Force Medical Officer during the Korean War. After service, he returned to Tulane for his OB-GYN specialty training. John served his community in Columbus relentlessly, becoming highly respected and loved by all who knew him. He died in his home in Columbus, Mississippi on August 11th, 2010, two days after his birthday. John lived to be 90 years old and named one of his own sons after his little brother, Fred. John is buried at Friendship Cemetery in Columbus, Lowndes County, Mississippi.
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