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B : Wilmington NC

Name: Gregory John Harris

Rank/Branch: 

E4/US Marine Corps

Unit: H/3/11 1st Marine Division
Date of Birth: 01 October 1945
Home City of Record: Syracuse NY
Date of Loss: 12 June 1966
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 145800N 1084900E (BS670578)
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Category: 2
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: Ground
 

      The Marine on the left has been identified as Bill Demski.

SYNOPSIS:

Gregory J. Harris was a radioman with a South Vietnamese company
operating in Quang Ngai Province, South Vietnam. On June 12, 1966, the 5th Vietnamese Marine Battalion Headquarters was overrun by Viet Cong forces, and according to the U.S. Marine Corps, Harris was captured. Two officers with Harris were killed, but the South Vietnamese saw Harris captured alive and apparently unhurt. According to Marine Corps records, Harris died in captivity. The Defense Department has never classified Gregory Harris as a prisoner of war
even though the Marine Corps believes he was captured and died in captivity. He was placed in a casualty status of Missing in Action.

In the summer of 1973, after Harris did not return with the released prisoners of war, his mother, Catherine Helwig, did something quite remarkable to tell the world that all the men did not return. She walked 450 miles in one month from Buffalo, New York to New York City. When asked why she did this, she responded, "If your child was lost in the forest you would not stop the search at the end of twenty-four hours.   I can't look for my boy...it's better than staying awake night after night."

At the same time Mrs. Helwig was walking, then-President Nixon was declaring the task of accounting for the remaining missing, "Highest priority". President after President termed the accounting "highest national priority". Not too much has changed. The men are still in Southeast Asia. Their sons, daughters and grandchildren are marching and protesting because mounting evidence indicates that many of them are still alive. It's time America insisted that "highest priority" meant just that ..and that the U.S. Government get very serious about bringing Americans home from Southeast Asian prisons.

A Letter from Chris Lafrate,

a cousin of Msgt Harris

DPMO advises, reguarding your request for Project X  files , that it has no records of any such project in connection with Gregory John Harris, USMC, further DPMO advises that the files on Gregory John Harris have been declassified and placed in the public domain in the LOC.

Now I'm just a farm girl, but I would think If there was any information to be had, on my cousin, that the DPMO , an agency that deals with POW/MIA'S affairs, should have it. For them to say they have no records of any such Project in connection with Greg , just doesn't sit right with me. Now I don't believe that there is a government conspiracy, but I do believe the investigation is a little one sided. They kind of disreguarded what the Marine Corps reported two days after it happened, and went with the recollections of the Viet Cong, 31 years later. I don't understand that, so I'm searching for answers that feel right with me. I am married and the mother of three boys, that report would not have been acceptable to me if it was about one of my sons.

I would like to tell you about my cousin, (this keeps him alive in my heart and mind).

Gregory John Harris or "Butchie "as the family called him, was born and raised in Fulton, New York. He was an only child raised by his mom. He was the first grandchild and the apple of my grandfathers eye. He spent weekends and summers on his Grandfathrs farm, where he learned to hunt and fish and pretty much take care of himself. All of us grandchildren (his cousins) looked up to him, he was our fearless leader, our big brother and confidant, all rolled up in one. We would play hide an seek in the hay loft, have green apple wars in the orchard, boys against girls (boys always won) and at night when the chores were done we would go swimming in the pond and have a camp fire. Butchie taught us camp fire songs such as" Mrs O Leary".  He also saved a neighbor from drowning in that pond. (He was our hero)

When he left for Vietnam, he left behind his mom and a big old black dog named Inky.  By and by Inky died, so his mom went out and got another big old black dog for him to have when he got home, but he didn't come home. His mom died, in 1974, of cancer, fighting to the very end for the safe return of her son. The family has picked up the fight. He would be so proud of his mom she did all a mother could do for her son and more.  I hope I can be like them both.

Thank You for all your help, the family will continue to fight.
Chris Lafrate

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all

Subject: Gregory John Harris
Date: Tue, 14 Oct 1997 07:40:51 -0400

(U) CASE SUMMARY
1. On 12 June 1966, CPL Gregory J. Harris, radio operator, was with the 5th Battalion of the Vietnamese Marine Corps on a search and destroy mission in the vicinity of BS 670 578 in South Vietnam. The unit was attacked by the Viet Cong and suffered heavy losses. CPL Harris was then missing. As friendly forces gained fire superiority they were able to recover some bodies, but not CPL Harris, during a two hour search. The Viet Cong remained in the area throughout the night. (Ref 1)

2. On 13 Jun 66, a three hour search of the area recovered more bodies of the dead and wounded however no trace of CPL Harris was found. An interrogation of two wounded Vietnamese revealed that one saw CPL Harris moving out of the area into some heavy foliage and the other one saw him being captured by the Viet Cong. These two men later died so they could not be questioned further. ARVN agents in the area at the time reported on 14 Jun 66 that two Vietnamese Marines were captured by the Viet Cong. There was no mention of an American prisoner. All the personnel that were with the 5th Vietnamese Marine Battalion on 12 Jun 1966 were accounted for except the two Vietnamese Marines who were reported captured and CPL Harris. (Ref 1)

3. During the existence of JCRC the hostile threat in the area precluded any visits to or ground inspections of the sites involved in this case.

4. CPL Harris is currently carried in the status of Missing. (U)

REFERENCES USED:
1. (U) RPT, lst Marine Div, Investigation Report 22 June 1966.

I wear this bracelet

with pride, because I'm proud to have served with warriors of the caliber of Gregory Harris, and shame, for the abandonment of our servicemen in captivity by my Country.

The other day I was asked if this was a POW bracelet. When I said "Yes, it was.",  the questioner said, "I didn't know people still wore those." I looked him in the eye and asked if all the POWs had come home or had been accounted for. When he didn't have an answer I told him that as long as there was one unaccounted for I and others would wear bracelets such as these. He hung his head in shame and admitted that he had forgotten about them.

Often times I wonder if it does any good to wear these, if it does anything to bring home our heroes. After this incident I realized that, YES it does. Everyday I'm reminded that there are still those who serve and do it proudly. I'm reminded that our country still drags it's feet on this issue though not as much as in the past. I'm reminded also that at least here was one individual who won't forget. And after the above incident, one other person who won't.

DON'T EVER GIVE UP!!!! DON'T LOSE FAITH!! ONE DAY,,,,SOME DAY WE'LL KNOW THEIR FATE! Please, continue to write your elected officials. Let them know that if they don't have the guts to see this through that through the ballot box we can put someone in who will.