By now, most Mississippians have heard of the death of one of our state’s most cherished wartime veterans: Colonel Carlyle “Smitty” Harris, USAF, Ret., passed away Sunday, July 6, at the age of 96.
Col. Harris and Ms. Louise, his wife of 67 years, were longtime residents of Tupelo, Mississippi. But his name and his heroism were well known throughout the nation, especially after the 2019 publication of Tap Code, his autobiographical book written in conjunction with Tupelo author, Sara W. Berry.
His story of heroism began in 1965, when the F-105 fighter jet Harris was piloting was shot down over Thanh, Hoa, North Vietnam, making him only the sixth American to be captured as a prisoner of war (POW) by the Communist forces of North Vietnam.
During the following eight years, Harris and his fellow POWs endured their brutal captivity in the infamous Hanoi Hilton, in part, by communicating with each other via an old, life-giving “tap code” that he had coincidentally learned about during flight school. Harris’s tap code was eventually passed on to every POW who entered that prison system, and many of those men credited that code as the one tool that kept them sane and helped them survive.
Harris was released and returned to Tupelo in 1973, ultimately receiving two Purple Hearts, two Silver Stars, three Legion of Merits medals, and numerous other awards for his bravery and heroism.
I was honored to meet Col. Harris and Ms. Louise for the first time several years ago. It was an impactful day for me.
But I am almost certain that no one who ever met the Harrises was ever left unchanged by their story of hardship, endurance, bravery – and faithfulness to God, country, family, and each other. They were truly a living picture of the best of humanity.
But, if I tell the entire truth about that first visit, I have to say that none of those unbelievably heroic aspects of their story were what impacted me most.
What hit me hardest that day was their absolute love for each other, a love that obviously had only grown throughout the years – and was continuing to grow right before my eyes.
As we sat in their lovely home and chatted with this precious couple, it was such a pleasant visit. But the entire time, it was as if they were the only two people in that room. I watched as they continually glanced across the den, smiling and quietly loving each other.
Actually, they flirted the entire time.
Seriously, these two 80+ year olds openly flirted with each other without ever saying a word or even touching and holding hands. It took my breath away to witness this couple silently love each other like that, just knowing what they had endured.
They overcame eight years of separation in one of the darkest periods of American history, came back together as totally different people, successfully raised a beautiful, loving family, and then, lived a whole, other lifetime together – a life filled with tried, tested, and true love.
I left their home that day convicted and determined to love my husband and my family harder and stronger than ever before. I saw what real love looked like six decades down the road, and I wanted THAT kind of love.
So, when I heard the news of his death Sunday night, my immediate thought of Col. Harris and Ms. Louise was the same first thought I always have of them. My first thoughts of the Harrises never rush to the Hanoi Hilton POWs or the Tap Code or any of the amazing things he and she endured, overcame, and accomplished in one of our nation’s toughest times.
But I do think of their heroism. Always.
I think of the courage, bravery, and absolute determination that it took for them to live and love for a lifetime – and beyond. Yes, Col. Smitty Harris and his lifelong sweetheart, Ms. Louise, will forever be my Mississippi heroes, because they showed me how to war and win at marriage.
And for that, I salute them both!
Here is a previous feature about the Harrises: https://ourmshome.com/our-mississippi-veterans-smitty-harris/.
