thedrifter
05-29-07, 06:39 AM
Swampscott honors Marine pilot
Square is dedicated to Jennifer J. Harris
By Charles M. Sennott, Globe Staff | May 29, 2007
SWAMPSCOTT -- Memorial Day observances here yesterday were marked not only by flags among the weathered granite headstones for fallen heroes from wars past, but also by the unveiling of a new square named in honor of a native daughter of this North Shore town who lost her life in Iraq in February.
At the intersection of Essex Street and Stetson Avenue, hundreds of residents gathered quietly to observe the life and the sacrifice of Marine Captain Jennifer J. Harris, 28, a pilot killed in Iraq Feb. 7 when her Sea Knight helicopter transporting blood supplies to wounded, front line troops was taken down by insurgents.
Her father, Raymond Harris, 63, lifted a black veil to reveal the new bronze plaque with a gold star that reads: "Captain Jennifer J. Harris Square."
With his wife, Rosalie, by his side, Raymond wept as he placed a wreath of red and white carnations with patriotic bunting on the signpost that bears the name of their daughter, and their only child.
The square's location was chosen by town officials because it is just down the street from a square dedicated on Veterans Day to Swampscott's other fallen hero from the Iraq war, Army Specialist Jared J. Raymond, 20, who was killed by a roadside bomb last year and also honored during ceremonies yesterday.
Harris was the second female Marine officer to die in combat in Iraq and the first female service member from Massachusetts to die in combat since the war in Vietnam. She belonged to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 364, nicknamed "The Purple Foxes," based out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Her father and several cousins and uncles wore tan T-shirts bearing the squadron's insignia and the radio moniker Jennifer used as a pilot on missions -- "The Dove."
Her father also wore a blue baseball cap emblazoned with "The Purple Foxes," its brim pulled low over eyes turned red from crying.
Surrounded by neighbors and friends who offered hugs and somber handshakes, Raymond Harris, a retired General Electric worker, told a Globe reporter, "She was everything to us."
Harris, who her former high school principal Peter Sack described as "the best of Swampscott and the best of America," was a flute player in the high school band, studied hard, and never gave up her dream: to serve her country. She was on her third tour in Iraq.
"This is an amazing community. I can't tell you how much they have done to give us support through this," her father said.
Harris died along with seven other Marines and servicemen after nearly completing her third, seven-month tour of duty mostly doing casualty-evacuation runs for injured US troops and Iraqis.
She was only days away from finishing the tour when she volunteered for what would be her last mission.
The Marine Corps initially said the crash was caused by mechanical failure. But on Feb. 14, a week after the CH-46 helicopter went down, an insurgent group in Iraq posted a video on the Internet of a shoulder-fired rocket taking down what appeared to be the same chopper.
Since then, the Marines have said the chopper was shot down although no official after action report has been made available, family members said.
Marine Captain Rocky Checca, who served alongside Harris on two tours, was among those who led a memorial service for her in Iraq before loading her flag-draped coffin onto a C-130 transport plane to be shipped home for her funeral.
Checca, who flew in from Camp Pendleton yesterday to attend the dedication, said after the event, "She was amazing. She was truly amazing," his words trailing off into silence.
"It's just hard to talk today," he said, turning away as a woman put her arm around him and they walked from the square up toward the Swampscott Cemetery for the second part of the Memorial Day observances that would recognize Harris and Raymond, who was killed on Sept. 19, and all of the fallen of wars past.
A somber procession of residents walked through the cemetery past scores of small American flags next to gravestones that marked the final resting place of veterans from the Civil War, two World Wars, Korea, Vietnam, and now Iraq.
The procession stopped at plots for Harris and Raymond, two mounds of fresh earth upon which the grass has not yet had time to grow.
Charles Sennott can be reached at sennott@globe.com.
Ellie
Square is dedicated to Jennifer J. Harris
By Charles M. Sennott, Globe Staff | May 29, 2007
SWAMPSCOTT -- Memorial Day observances here yesterday were marked not only by flags among the weathered granite headstones for fallen heroes from wars past, but also by the unveiling of a new square named in honor of a native daughter of this North Shore town who lost her life in Iraq in February.
At the intersection of Essex Street and Stetson Avenue, hundreds of residents gathered quietly to observe the life and the sacrifice of Marine Captain Jennifer J. Harris, 28, a pilot killed in Iraq Feb. 7 when her Sea Knight helicopter transporting blood supplies to wounded, front line troops was taken down by insurgents.
Her father, Raymond Harris, 63, lifted a black veil to reveal the new bronze plaque with a gold star that reads: "Captain Jennifer J. Harris Square."
With his wife, Rosalie, by his side, Raymond wept as he placed a wreath of red and white carnations with patriotic bunting on the signpost that bears the name of their daughter, and their only child.
The square's location was chosen by town officials because it is just down the street from a square dedicated on Veterans Day to Swampscott's other fallen hero from the Iraq war, Army Specialist Jared J. Raymond, 20, who was killed by a roadside bomb last year and also honored during ceremonies yesterday.
Harris was the second female Marine officer to die in combat in Iraq and the first female service member from Massachusetts to die in combat since the war in Vietnam. She belonged to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 364, nicknamed "The Purple Foxes," based out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Her father and several cousins and uncles wore tan T-shirts bearing the squadron's insignia and the radio moniker Jennifer used as a pilot on missions -- "The Dove."
Her father also wore a blue baseball cap emblazoned with "The Purple Foxes," its brim pulled low over eyes turned red from crying.
Surrounded by neighbors and friends who offered hugs and somber handshakes, Raymond Harris, a retired General Electric worker, told a Globe reporter, "She was everything to us."
Harris, who her former high school principal Peter Sack described as "the best of Swampscott and the best of America," was a flute player in the high school band, studied hard, and never gave up her dream: to serve her country. She was on her third tour in Iraq.
"This is an amazing community. I can't tell you how much they have done to give us support through this," her father said.
Harris died along with seven other Marines and servicemen after nearly completing her third, seven-month tour of duty mostly doing casualty-evacuation runs for injured US troops and Iraqis.
She was only days away from finishing the tour when she volunteered for what would be her last mission.
The Marine Corps initially said the crash was caused by mechanical failure. But on Feb. 14, a week after the CH-46 helicopter went down, an insurgent group in Iraq posted a video on the Internet of a shoulder-fired rocket taking down what appeared to be the same chopper.
Since then, the Marines have said the chopper was shot down although no official after action report has been made available, family members said.
Marine Captain Rocky Checca, who served alongside Harris on two tours, was among those who led a memorial service for her in Iraq before loading her flag-draped coffin onto a C-130 transport plane to be shipped home for her funeral.
Checca, who flew in from Camp Pendleton yesterday to attend the dedication, said after the event, "She was amazing. She was truly amazing," his words trailing off into silence.
"It's just hard to talk today," he said, turning away as a woman put her arm around him and they walked from the square up toward the Swampscott Cemetery for the second part of the Memorial Day observances that would recognize Harris and Raymond, who was killed on Sept. 19, and all of the fallen of wars past.
A somber procession of residents walked through the cemetery past scores of small American flags next to gravestones that marked the final resting place of veterans from the Civil War, two World Wars, Korea, Vietnam, and now Iraq.
The procession stopped at plots for Harris and Raymond, two mounds of fresh earth upon which the grass has not yet had time to grow.
Charles Sennott can be reached at sennott@globe.com.
Ellie