Their Story
Remembering Adam J. Harris.
PFC Adam J. Harris was 21 years old, from Abilene, Texas, when he was killed by sniper fire while on patrol in Mosul, Iraq, on September 22, 2004. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, out of Fort Lewis, Washington, and was serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Adam had enlisted in the Army about a year before his death, following a path he had wanted for a long time. His commander remembered him as "a great young American with a great heart" who "always wanted to serve" and who was determined to "make his parents proud." He celebrated his 21st birthday in Iraq just days before he was killed, and was due home the following month.
He grew up close to his family at Dyess Air Force Base, where his mother, Denise Bush, worked as secretary to the base commander, and his stepfather, Steven Bush, served as food superintendent for the 7th Services Squadron. Friends remembered him as a kid who loved football and cars, the kind of easygoing enthusiasm that stuck with the people who knew him.
His mother put words to the loss that every Gold Star family carries: "You never think it's going to happen to you. It's just devastating."
Adam Harris gave his life so far from the home he loved, on a patrol in a foreign city, doing the job he had chosen. Steel Hearts remembers him not for how his story ended, but for the eager, dedicated young soldier he was, the son who wanted to make his parents proud, and did.
