SEAL drowned in Afghanistan was driven to live purposefully

NORFOLK

Josh Harris arrived at Davidson College as a football recruit, an undersized but skilled linebacker who earned all-conference honors on a powerhouse team.

But once on the North Carolina campus, he poured his efforts into studying and creating art.

Harris' varied interests pulled him away from football to a degree in studio art. Later, he studied architecture, struggled as an artist in New York City, then joined the Navy in 2000 and became an elite SEAL.

"That was pretty wonderful about him," said his former art history professor, Shaw Smith. "He was an athlete and an aesthete."

On Saturday, turbulent waters swept away and drowned Petty Officer 1st Class Harris as he crossed a river during a combat mission in Afghanistan. Harris, 36, was a member of the Naval Special Warfare Development Group at Dam Neck Annex in Virginia Beach.

He is survived by his parents, Dr. Sam and Evelyn Harris; his twin sister, Kiki; and his brother, S. Ranchor Harris.

Lee Mabe, choral director at Lexington High School in North Carolina, said Harris was quiet and serious-minded.

"He felt really compelled to do something purposeful with his life," Mabe said.

At Davidson, Smith said, Harris quickly blossomed into an excellent student with a curious mind whose interests ranged from French paintings and chateaux to smash-mouth football.

He spent the spring semester in 1993 in France, studying art history with a group of Davidson students and faculty, Smith said. A responsible young man, he often drove the rental cars filled with students around the countryside.

"He could do stuff," Smith said. "He was quiet, but when he spoke it meant something."

Harris studied architecture for two years at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte but did not earn a degree there, according to school records.

He moved to New York City and shared an apartment with his twin, Kiki, as the two pursued careers in the performing and fine arts, Mabe said. His drawings and sculptures focused on the human figure, and his work was displayed at Lincoln Center.

But Harris returned to his hometown and settled on another purpose - becoming a Navy SEAL. He trained at his old high school track in the hottest parts of the day, running miles and pumping his muscles into shape, Mabe said.

Harris joined the Navy in August 2000 and after boot camp reported to basic SEAL training. He was 28 years old, near the maximum age for eligibility.

He joined SEAL Team 10 at Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base, according to the Navy. He was awarded a Bronze Star for combat valor, among many other citations, the Navy said. In 2006, he joined the selective SEAL development group at Dam Neck.

Harris would go back home to North Carolina from his Navy duties to visit family and watch high school football games, Mabe said. The sailor shared little about his deployments and dangerous work, although he once mentioned he specialized in cold-weather missions and had endured the misery of frostbite.

He deployed several times to Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the Navy.

Said Mabe: "He was just the whole package."

Louis Hansen, (757) 446-2322, louis.hansen@pilotonline.com