Salute to heroes: Winston-Salem Air Force veteran continues to serve
Henry Harper was a member of the security police during Vietnam and is now a Red Cross volunteer
Henry Harper was a member of the security police during Vietnam and is now a Red Cross volunteer
Henry Harper was a member of the security police during Vietnam and is now a Red Cross volunteer
The American Red Cross of the Piedmont Triad is honoring Henry Harper of Winston-Salem as part of its annual Salute to Heroes awards ceremony.
Harper served in the Air Force from 1971 to 1975 as a member of the security police. During his time stationed in Thailand, his base was hit by enemy fire.
"Whew, scary," he says. "(It was like) a John Wayne movie. You could see the traces from the bullets in the air."
Harper admits the military was not his first choice after graduating from Carver High School in 1969. He was a baseball player who had aspirations of turning pro, but in college, he says he quickly found out his talent would only take him so far, so he dropped out and enlisted instead.
"I had no clue to what the Air Force could offer me at the time. It was getting away from home, getting away from Mr. and Mrs. Harper and being a man," he says.
Harper credits his faith with getting him through the toughest times, including a tepid welcome home from his time in Vietnam.
After his military service, he spent more than three decades working for R.J. Reynolds as a laborer and driver. Then in 2016, he started his next chapter as a member of the Disaster Action Team with the American Red Cross.
"My personality fits the responder that the community needs in terms of being compassionate, sympathetic, and understanding people in a time of need," he says. "You know, just the other night, I went on a fire call, lady lost her dog, family was burned out at 3 o'clock in the morning ... very tough."
Another early-morning call he received centers around a service dog named Du'dee, who belongs to fellow Red Cross volunteer Howard Little, who is autistic. Harper drove them both to PTI airport so they could fly cross-country.
"He came over here at three in the morning, got me so I could be at the airport at four so that I could go to California to help out with the sheltering there," Little says. "True greatness comes in service, and that's what Henry does all the time. He goes out in the middle of the night all the time."
Harper has received a certificate of achievement from Governor Roy Cooper and a lifetime achievement award from President Biden for his volunteerism, but he does not consider himself a hero.
"The heroes that I see are the single mothers and fathers who are raising kids. Those are the heroes, the school teacher who takes a salary and buys extra materials for kids. I'm not a hero. I'm just Henry Harper. Somebody who is trying to make a difference in the community," he says.
Harper's granddaughter was also in the news not long ago. Back in June, Alecia Washington became the first Black valedictorian in more than 100 years at R.J. Reynolds High School.
This year's Salute to Heroes awards ceremony is set for Sept. 21 at The Colonnade at Revolution Mills in Greensboro. Tickets are available here.