HARRIS, GREGORY JOHN
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
Other Personnel In Incident: (none missing)
Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 01 July 1990 from one or more of the
following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with
POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews. Updated by the P.O.W.
NETWORK.
REMARKS:
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
eventhough 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.
Gregory J. Harris was promoted to the rank of Master Sergeant during the period
he was a prisoner of war. Marine Corps records list his home city as Syracuse,
New York.
DATE: 5/27/97
I have a cousin, who was seen, captured alive on June 12, 1966 in Quang
Ngai Province, VS.
Mind you we are realistic people and we realize that there is little hope of
his safe return, but we strive for a truthful accounting of him by our
government.
I have been trying to research his case, I have found out he was listed in
Project -X, ( he was one of 57 men in that investigation) he was also listed
in the Vessey Discrepancy case's (he was one of 119 men listed in that)
In the Vessey investigation, a joint team talked to 8 witnesses stating that
he was shot and killed on June 12, 1966 . What I can make out from this
investigaton, that took place in 1990 is that they talked to the village
people and they talked to the communist (VIET CONG) but they didn't talk to
the other side, meaning the 5th Vietnamese marine battalion that
participated in the battle.
LS suggested that that I file through the Freedom Of Information Act with
the DPMO for all files on Gregory. I did this and I also requested all in-
formation on him in the Project-X cases. Their reply back to me is as
follows-- 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 by
the name of Inky. Well Inky waited for him to come home , but he didn't---
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
I have been trying to help the family of Greg Harris find additional
info on him. As you know, Harris is one of the Project X cases. His
cousin came to Natl POW Recognition Day services here in Albany NY and
to their dismay found that Greg's name is not on the memorial of those
killed or missing from NYS. Inadvertently his name shows up as possibly
from Toledo OH. His family has no idea why his name is listed as
possibly from OH and would like to set the record straight. Harris was
born in Syracuse NY and entered the military from Syracuse. We ask that
any info furnished to inquiries not reflect Toledo OH regarding Greg
Harris.
Tri-County Council Vietnam Era Veterans
KEVIN V. KISTER, Secretary/Director
257 Osborne Rd
Albany NY 12211
Phone 518.459.2442 or FAX 518.438.5954
Email: TCCVNEV@albanyonline.net
[r0358.97]
PROJECT X
SUMMARY SELECTION RATIONALE
NAME: HARRIS, Gregory J., CPL, USMC
OFFICIAL STATUS: MISSING
CASE SUMMARY: SEE ATTACHED
RATIONALE FOR SELECTION: Two Vietnamese who were wounded during the same
action from which CPL Harris disappeared reported his capture by Viet Cong
Forces. Although there are no reports confirming CPL Harris as a Prisoner,
there have been no subsequent reports of his death.
REFNO: 0358 04 Aug. 75
(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.
* National Alliance of Families Home Page
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