Sometimes I am just subtle as a train wreck. Every year I ask our friend George Harris to please write the official Moonhowlings Memorial Day Dedication. Each year George comes through, and his Memorial Day piece seems a little bit better each year. He has every right to tell me to go pound sand because I don’t think I have ever given him enough of a warning. Memorial Day always sneaks up on me.
Since I use and abuse poor George every year at this time, I want to salute and pay tribute to George just so you all know what an outstanding guy is writing the Memorial Day Dedication. So I sneaked and asked him for bio information. Subtle, M-H.
George enlisted as a scrawny 18 year old from Oklahoma in 1951. He entered the service as an E1–the lowest level for enlisted personel. Nearly 40 years later he retired as an O-6–a Captain in the Navy. Now that’s quite an accomplishment and something not often done by the average Joe. Just look at this list of accomplishments:
- Enlisted in the Navy in August 1951
- Became a Hospital Corpsman 1952
- Served as Senior Hospital Corpsman, Company H, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment in Korea
- Promoted to the grade of Hospital Corpsman First Class 1955
- Selected for promotion to Ensign, Medical Service Corps 1959
- Commanding Officer, Company B, 1st Medical Battalion, 1st Marine Division, FMF, Vietnam 1966-67
- First Medical Service Corps officer to attend the U. S. Marine Corps Command and Staff College, Quantico, VA, Class of 1969
- Commanding Officer, 3rd Medical Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, FMF 1972-73
- Executive Assistant to The Medical Officer, U. S. Marine Corps 1980-84
- Selected for promotion to Captain, Medical Service Corps—1982
- Attended Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Fort McNair, Class of 1985
- Principal Director for the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, Department of Defense 1986-87
- Executive Assistant to the Surgeon General of the Navy 1987-89
- Commanding Officer, Naval School of Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 1989-90
- Retired July 1990
- Served 7 years as Vice President for Executive Affairs, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD
- Rose from the grade of Seaman Recruit to Captain, Medical Service Corps between 1951 and 1990. (There are your E-1’s and O-6’s)
- Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Excellence In Research Award (Industrial College of the Armed Forces)
- Masters Degree in Public Administration
George has received the following awards:
- Legion of Merit with Two Gold Stars
- Defense Meritorious Service Medal
- Navy Commendation Medal
- Presidential Unit Citation
- Navy Meritorious Unit Citation
- Navy Good Conduct Medal with Bronze Star
- National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star
- Korean Service Medal with Marine Corps Devision
- Vietnam Service Medal with Two Bronze Stars and Marine Corps Device
- United Nations Service Medal
- Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
- Navy Expert Pistol Ribbon
However, if you asked George about himself he would just tell you that he was an all around good guy and master bullshit artist.
He loves giving us all a big piece of his mind and spending time with family and friends. I expect his best hours are with the love of his life, his wife Carrie. George’s latest retirement hobby is “fox master.” A Fox Family lives in his shed!
Here we can see George taking a break from giving someone hell and enjoying it and retirement immensely.
I think George could probably have his own M.A.S.H. series from the looks of his accomplishments and some of the jokes he tells. He served during both Korea and Vietnam. He has probably seen more improvments in modern war time medicine than any person in history. Even after all that, he still has time to spend with us here at Moonhowlings and to write our tributes to those who have fallen. George, we salute you. Thank you, sir, for your service. Thank you for being you and always stepping up to the plate to help others.
P.S. The Moonhowlings Memorial Day dedication which will appear tomorrow on Memorial Day proper, was written by our own poet laureate, George Harris
2011 tribute-
https://www.moonhowlings.net/index.php/2011/05/29/captain-george-s-harris-memorial-day-2011-2/
2010 tribute-
https://www.moonhowlings.net/index.php/2010/05/31/memorial-day-tribute-from-captain-george-s-harris-u-s-navy-retired/
You might have to cut and paste.
George, I am honored to know you, through thick and thin, through agreement or disagreement, you are an amazing person 🙂 I salute your service!
George, you da man!!
What can you say about someone who devotes 40 years to serving his country? The only mistake I see is picking the Navy instead of the Air Force. Thanks, George!
George, from one vet to another: Salute!
Thanks, George, for your service to our country and for each year’s Memorial Day tribute here at Moonhowlings!
I am George’s eldest daughter. From my first memories to this day, my father has been there for all six of his children. Even when he was stationed overseas, we knew that any question, any complaint written in a letter would receive an answer. Dad was always willing to play with us, giving us many hours of playing “airplane” and rough-housing all around. When we got older, Dad was often the parent to whom our friends would turn for advice. All we welcome in our home, and if they needed to stay for a while, well, that happened, too. I guess what I am trying to say is that, in addition the being an outstanding Naval Officer, he was an outstanding father to us kids, and I think I can speak for my sisters and brothers and say that we are very proud, and thankful for his service to this country of ours, and his love for his family.
Welcome, Shannon. We are all rather partial to George around these parts.
I don’t think there is any higher honor than to tell someone with 6 kids that they were and still are an outstanding father. That is the highest of compliments.
And I love the 2nd picture of George looking up from giving someone Hell. Does that pic not just capture the very essence of George?
Thank you for sharing Shannon. The fact that IN SPITE of your dad having to be gone, you still felt really close is really to him is a testament to George being a great dad. No greater honor than that in my opinion 🙂
I think you should tell the good readers here exactly what a Corpsman is, and what he does.
A Corpseman is a fancy name for a Marine medic.
An infantry Marine is trained to fight and accept his (inevitable) death when it comes.
The Corpsman is the crazy bastard that refuses to accept the verdict and runs out regardless of however many interlocking fields of fire you might be caught in to save your ass. They never say die, even when you already have.
Corpsmen are sacred. They are better men. Thank God for Corpsmen. Thank God there was a man like George to train them. And thank God one was there for me.
Semper Fi.
All too often, at least in my day, the corpsmen did become corpseman in too many cases. In fact, I was thinking over the weekend, I do not know a single doctor, corpman, nurse who served in Vietnam who didn’t end up divorcing, regardless of when they married.
The ones we know came back and didn’t talk about it.
There are probably a lot of folks out there Thanking George. Glad you added to the list!
@Cato the Elder
While there were lots of things to not like about being in a rifle company, my time as the senior corpsman (HM2) in H-3-1, lst Marine Division, FMF will always be remembered. Being called “Doc” is very special. Not only do you take care of the physical needs of Marines, you often fill as as confidant on many other things. Why? I guess because the Marines felt like if they could trust you with their lives, they could t rust you with about anything. Few people know that one of the six men who raised the flag on Mount Surabachi, Iwo Jima was a Navy Hospital Corpsman, John Bradley who, by the way, won the Navy Cross for saving a Marine under intense fire. John was wounded in both legs. Of the six men, John was the only one to put his life back together and died of a stroke at 2:12 am in an Antigo, WI hospital on January 11, 1994, at the age of 70. He told his children the only real heros on Iwo Jima were the ones who died. BRAVO ZULU John Bradley!
Was he cameoed in Flags of our Fathers?
George –
It sounds like you are a Real Man – and do know that there are very many people that truly appreciate the time that you served, the personal hardship on your family, and your accomplishments.
Thank You George Harris!
George,
I’m glad to see that you finally found some friends!! I know you didn’t have any at USU……..
God Bless!!
VR/
Bobby