Robert Ernest Harris

Robert Harris grew up in Dubuque and graduated from Dubuque Senior High School in 1947. He attended the University of Dubuque where he graduated in 1951 with a major in physical education and minor in mathematics. Harris entered the Marine Corps in 1951 and began a series of assignments that brought him to the 1st Anti-Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division in Vietnam in 1966. He was known as a “by the book” officer but also respected for his commitment to the Corps and to his men. His death came as he traveled by jeep through Hai Van Pass west of Da Nang to inspect a field position. Survived by his wife, he was buried in Glendale Cemetery in Des Moines.