"Harmonica Harry" Desko

Over the years, many things have been said about my Grandfather, Harry J. Desko. Like myself, he was a man who wore many hats. Harry was kind-hearted and generous. Never meeting a stranger, everywhere he went he was recognized. He was known for having a particular attention to detail, and the tenacity to maintain it. Although he was not a rock-star or famous athlete, he was an excellent role model. He defined what is great about the "Greatest Generation". Little of what Harry did later in life could not be traced back to his life as a bomber builder. The very fabric of his life had been shaped by his time working at the North American Aviation plant in Fairfax, Kansas. He was proud of every single moment.

I will start Harry's story in late 1941. After the attack at Pearl Harbor, my grandfather tried to enlist in the Army. Failing his medical exam, he was still determined to serve his country. North American Aviation gave him that opportunity. Harry filled multiple roles at the bomber plant. He spent some time in sheet metal as well as riveting. For most of his time at North American, he was a punch press operator in Department #2 nights. Working six nights a week, he put in anywhere from 48 to 60 or more hours of his time building one of the most important bombers of the war. Sometimes he would work later than the trollies were in operation. On those nights, he walked from Fairfax to his home at 47th and Leavenworth Road. The lessons he learned at the plant stayed with him. It was his experience with the punch press that led to his post-war job at Fairbanks Morse. His dedication and attention to detail was evident in every task he accomplished.

Although Harry and Alice were already a couple when he started working at the plant, many of their first memories as a couple were shared while building B-25s. In June of 1942, Harry and Alice were married. Their first son was born prior to the War's end. They bought their first house and made it a home while working at Fairfax. As Harry and Alice started a new family, they also gained a family in their fellow co-workers. Although Harry would go on to start the NAA-K B-25 Bomber Builders Newsletter that eventually reached over 900 former plant workers, he never reunited with anyone who worked with him at the plant. That didn't stop him from treating every one of those 900 men and women as part of his family.

Just as he built the B-25, working at North American built him. Although he had loved to play the harmonica since childhood, the regular talent shows at the Fairfax plant gave him the first opportunity to show his talent to those around him. He was a regular performer and soon became known around the plant as "Harmonica Harry". At the plant, he met others who shared his passion for Harmonica. After the war, he founded the professional harmonica band called the "Rhythmonics" and a harmonica club called the "Harmonicateers". Harry became known as one of the best harmonica players in the nation. Over the years, his collection of harmonicas grew to be unsurpassed. His most cherished harmonica moment was receiving the lifetime achievement award from the Society for the Preservation and Advancement of Harmonicas. None of this would have been possible without his time building bombers at North American.

When Harry retired, he gained an opportunity to return to what he loved. After attending a reunion of North American Aviation employees, he started writing a newsletter so former co-workers could keep in touch. That newsletter, the NAA-K B-25 Bomber Builders Newsletter, would eventually reach over 900 former B-25 bomber builders, pilots, and mechanics. His dedication soon led him to preservation. The organization provided information for at least three books and one documentary. It built the Bomber Builders Memorial and led to the donation of hundreds of artifacts to the Wyandotte County Historical Museum. Most importantly, his love of the B-25 also inspired me. For 15 years, Harry and Alice dedicated their lives honoring the memory of the men and women who built the B-25.

The visibility of the newsletter brought Harry into the role of spokesperson. Almost overnight, he became the voice for all of the former Fairfax B-25 bomber builders. He used that voice to educate the general public about the role the bomber builders played in history. Harry also used that voice to inspire his fellow bomber builders to inspire others. Now that both Harry and Alice are gone, that torch has been passed to me. The newsletter has now grown into "The B-25 History Project". The dedication to honoring the men and women that built, flew, and maintained the B-25 is still alive. We strive to inspire the next generation just as we were inspired by them.