THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 26, 1996 TAG: 9605250186
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SERIES: On Memorial Day: Remembering fallen heroes
SOURCE: Ida Kay Jordan
LENGTH: 28 lines
Memorial Day is ``a private thing'' for Albert F. ``Al'' Harris, a Portsmouth Museums business manager.
Harris was an infantry sergeant in Korea from 1950 to '51.
``Memorial Day means memories of the guys who didn't come back. I'll never forget my buddies who didn't make it home.''
But while he has his thoughts about his own war, he will be doing other things on Memorial Day.
A Civil War historian, Harris will mark this Memorial Day dressed in a Civil War uniform in the re-enactment color guard for a ceremony dedicating a monument to those who built and manned the ironclad CSS Virginia.
Harris, now 64, volunteered for the Army at age 18.
`` . . . My father had volunteered in World War II, and I thought I should go to Korea.''
Harris was pleased when a memorial to Korean veterans finally was erected in Washington last year.
``It broke my heart when we didn't have one there and the Vietnam veterans already had one. I haven't seen the Korean monument, but I'm planning a pilgrimage to Washington for just that reason.'' by CNB