Harry attended Culver Military Academy for two years to prepare for West Point. He played two years of football, track and boxing. He lettered in boxing as well as playing football at West Point. He would laugh and say his only claim to fame was running onto the football field and being asked by Vince Lombardi, “What’s your name, mister?”

Upon graduation, Harry chose the Infantry. After attending the Infantry Officer Basic Course, Parachute School and Ranger Course number eight at Ft. Benning, GA, he completed the Psychological Warfare School and Special Warfare School in 1956. In 1957 he was transferred to Germany, where he served in the Berlin Brigade, the Army’s Berlin garrison unit, a city then surrounded by the Soviets. He completed the Army Language School for Russian in 1958 and, in 1960, returned to the Infantry School at Ft. Benning to attend the Infantry Officer Career Course. Then, in 1961 was on to the 4th Infantry Division at Ft. Lewis, WA. In 1962, Harry decided to leave the Army and submitted his resignation.

Harry was employed as a commercial salesman for Shell Oil Company in Los Angeles. He came home chuckling one day about being shown his route by the previous salesman, who took him to meet a very difficult customer. Harry said he looked at the man and greeted him in Russian. The customer was very happy - no longer a difficult customer. Harry was very good at anything he attempted, but he did not enjoy sales. He decided to take some art courses because he liked art as a child. He attended art school in Chicago for commercial art and said his degree in engineering helped him.

We met in 1962 while he was at Ft. Lewis and were married 1 Dec 1962 in Tacoma, WA. We have two girls Lucilla Anne Thompson, who is married to Bill Thompson, and Alexandra Ruhf.

After our girls were grown, he cared for elderly men at the request of a state social worker who told him there were not enough homes for elderly men. The older men responded to his care and sense of humor. The men were pleased when they would be complimented for their appearance. He made sure they were trimmed, showered and shaved daily.

For fun he practiced Judo and Karate throughout his life. He earned a brown belt in Karate in 1993. In June 1998, Harry participated in a sparring tournament with three men in his age category. The First man was at least a foot taller and about 30 years younger. After some positioning, he executed a round house that caught Harry on the nose. Harry went down on one knee but did not go all the way down. He waved off the referee. After about a minute’s discussion, he was ready to continue. He looked up and his eyes flashed bright green. He stood up, and before the competitor knew what happened, he was slapping the mat three times - fast. The  third competitor chose to let Harry have the match. Despite health limitations, he continued to train for his black belt in Karate during the last two years of his life.

For the last 22 years of our marriage we lived on the Yakama Indian Reservation. During that time he became an honored member of the community. Harry died at home of natural causes and is buried at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in White Swan, WA, our family burial place. He is now a part of the history of the Yakama Indian Nation. He will have a place in the Yakama Nation Warriors Museum that will display his diploma and certificates, as well as a picture of him. Our Yakama tradition is to put away all likenesses of the person who has gone on until at least one year after or when we have a memorial service to put away our mourning.

Harry was successful in many ways, which was shown by the number of people who called him relation, friend and uncle. Harry should be remembered as a kind and loving man with a serious sense of humor and a sense of honor and as a giver of dignity.