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Bill Harris becomes a close friend of Louie’s when they meet at Ofuna, and throughout the novel, Bill is defined by his intelligence and perseverance. Bill’s presence in the story signifies endurance and strength, balanced with the grim unpredictability of war. Bill survives the horrors of being a prisoner of war—including disease, torture, and severe beatings as punishment for creating an extensive English-Japanese dictionary for the POWs—and he stands in a place of honor during the Japanese surrender on the USS Missouri. Upon his return to America, he marries a navy captain’s daughter and they have two children. Though it seems he has escaped the most dire consequences of war, Bill remains in the Marines and becomes a lieutenant colonel. He is called to command a battalion in the Korean War and wins a historic battle against the Chinese, earning the Navy Cross. However, Bill disappears during the battle and is never heard from again, even in the reports of POWs. Before leaving for Korea, Bill tells his wife that if things go badly in the war, he will not allow himself to be captured again. Bill displays extraordinary courage and resilience during his time with Louie as a POW, but his disappearance alludes to the harsh reality that the atrocities of war can be inescapable, even if one believes they have successfully been evaded.
