Richard Galen Harris – Colonel, United States Air Force

From a contemporary press report

Richard Galen Harris, 69, a retired Air Force Colonel who owned and operated Tubs Adrift, a spa business in Burke, Virignia, from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, died July 13 at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital. He had congestive heart failure.

Colonel Harris, a Fairfax resident, was a native of Fresno, California, and a graduate of Fresno State University.

He served in the Air Force for 25 years before retiring in 1980. He was an F-4 pilot in Vietnam during the war there, and his later duties included commanding a fighter squadron at K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base in Michigan. His final active-duty assignment was at the Pentagon as Chief of Facilities for the Air National Guard.

His decorations included the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal and the Air Force Commendation Medal.

His marriage to Donna Rains Harris ended in divorce.

Survivors include four sons, Dave and Daryl, both of Sacramento, and Don and Dan, both of Fairfax; a brother; a sister; and eight grandchildren.

HARRIS, RICHARD GALAN

• COL US AIR FORCE
• VETERAN SERVICE DATES: 12/15/1956 – 02/01/1985
• DATE OF BIRTH: 02/08/1934
• DATE OF DEATH: 07/13/2003
• DATE OF INTERMENT: 09/26/2003
• BURIED AT: SECTION 66  SITE 4246-A
  ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard