An Alutiiq Hero
Daniel Harmon in Vietnam. Harmon Collection.
Daniel’s Story
Native American people have served in every major American conflict since the Revolutionary War. Historically, the ethnic group with the highest per-capita rate of service in the country is Alaska Native and Native American people. Alutiiq service members have fought all over the world, from Europe to the South Pacific and the Middle East.
Daniel Lee Harmon was an Alutiiq man from Woody Island, Alaska, who volunteered to serve his country by fighting in the Vietnam War. Throughout his tour of duty, Daniel showed courage and valor. At age 21, he made the ultimate sacrifice. Daniel was killed while trying to rescue a fellow soldier after helping another injured soldier to safety.
Childhood
Enlistment
As a young man living in Kodiak, Dan volunteered for the Alaska National Guard. During basic training at Fort Lewis, Washington, Dan spent weekends with family members living nearby. This included his brother, Mitch, and his niece, Margaret. They remember Dan’s big smile and his grin as he waved goodbye each Sunday when they dropped him back at Fort Lewis. Dan was known for his sense of humor and a smile that put people at ease. Despite Dan’s easygoing spirit, he was very serious about going to Vietnam. When he discovered his unit would not be sent to Vietnam, Dan went absent without leave (AWOL) for a day. He insisted on going, and in July of 1966, he began his tour.
Service
In February 1967, Harmon volunteered for the Army’s Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP). He was assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division. When the 4th Infantry Division moved into Central Highlands of Vietnam in 1966, they became responsible for covering the largest, most remote and treacherous area of the country. Dan volunteered knowing the danger and he participated in numerous patrols, some involving ambushing small groups of opposing forces.
Bronze Starr
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On a mission in February 1967, Dan was the radio operator on a four-man team. During their patrol the team located an enemy mortar squad and noted their movement toward a U.S. Infantry base. The team acted quickly, relaying the likely location of the enemy squad and the base bombarded the enemy position. The enemy squad spotted the Dan’s team. Dan summoned artillery support and accurately adjusted the position to provide them enough cover for a helicopter evacuation. For his actions, Dan received a Bronze Star for heroism. In March 1967, on a patrol, Dan was wounded in both legs. His team left him behind, but he crawled to safety during the night. He was awarded a Purple Heart his the injuries. |
Letters Home
Dan’s letters to his sister, Leanna, reveal his sense of humor as well as his artistic abilities. Jim, Dan’s brother, remembers Dan’s drawings. He could replicate any illustration from a book and sketched on many of his letters home. From complete sketches to doodles, each picture shows his wit. In closing one letter, Dan drew a film reel using red ink and wrote, “The End – A Dan Harmon Production – in color – yuk-yuk.”
Final Battle
In late May 1967, Dan’s unit was ordered to carry out a damage assessment mission. Recently released from the hospital, and with just five days left of his tour, Dan volunteered to serve as the assistant team leader.
After spending the night in enemy territory near the Cambodian border, the team encountered a North Vietnamese Army squad and called for extraction. The Army deployed three tanks and an infantry platoon. As the tanks arrived, the team realized they were in the middle of a mine field. Enemy forces began detonating the mines damaging the tanks and injuring many. Harmon dragged a fellow soldier to safety and was attempting to save another when he was mortally wounded. He was 21.
Remembering Dan
In June 2003, family, fellow soldiers, and friends gathered on Woody Island to remember Dan. A Russian Orthodox memorial service honored Dan and his cousin Fred Simeonoff, a helicopter pilot who also died in Vietnam. Dan and Fred, both Alutiiq men, were the only two Kodiak casualties of the Vietnam conflict.
Recognition
During the week of the memorial service, fellow soldiers spent time getting to know Harmon’s family. In their conversations, they realized Dan had not been recognized for his actions. One of them spent three years gathering information and completing paperwork. Finally, in August 2007, over 100 people gathered at a memorial service to honor Dan, who was posthumously awarded a Bronze Star with the “V” device for Valor and oak leaf clusters – his third decoration.