[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 180 (Wednesday, November 1, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1033]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        HONORING JAMES ED HARRIS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 1, 2023

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a 
remarkable unsung hero, James Ed Harris.
  James Ed Harris is a native Mississippian, born on the Harris family 
homestead in Grenada, where he lived with his mother, Mary Magdalene 
Harris and his father, Jimmy Lee Harris, along with his six siblings.
  James grew up working in the cotton fields on a local plantation with 
his mother; who was well known in the community as a seamstress taking 
the lead during a highly volatile racial south; to give relief while 
his WW2 Veteran father, Jimmy Lee Harris, also worked outside of the 
home.
  In 1966, James was among many teenager kids who risked their lives 
for the cause of getting Black Americans registered to vote and 
integrated into white schools without them all being killed in the 
process. They were beaten and arrested for trying to register Black 
Children. These teens were all taken to prison in Parchman, MS. There 
was a military draft that happened during that time. Although there was 
not a massive number of Black soldiers, they were the first to get 
drafted to fight in a foreign land.
  The day James was released from that prison was the day he made the 
conscious decision to protect his family's future. He chose to go and 
fight for his country in the perilous Vietnam War.
  James Ed Harris was awarded with the Purple Heart and Bronze Star 
Medal citation for extraordinary acts of valor while under direct enemy 
fire during ground operations against a superior hostile force in the 
Republic of Vietnam.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing James Ed 
Harris for his dedication and tenacity to serving his country and the 
desire to be an example for all.

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