Services sergeant receives Purple Heart Published May 10, 2007 By Airman Shen-Chia Chu 436th AW Public Affairs DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- Staff Sgt. Huey Harris III, 436th Services Squadron, was awarded a Purple Heart April 27 for wounds suffered during his recent deployment to Afghanistan. Col. Vic Sowers, 436th Mission Support Group commander, presented the medal to the 436th Services Squadron food services technician. The sergeant was injured in November 2006, when his humvee was struck by a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device during a convoy from Khandar to Qalat. A suicide bomber driving on the two-lane highway swerved a minibus full of explosives into the driver 's side door of the humvee. The VBIED disabled the humvee, tearing it to shreds with shrapnel. Everything went black "I don't remember much because I blacked out after seeing a flash and smoke," said Sergeant Harris, a food service shift leader here. "I woke up, strapped down to a stretcher in a helicopter with medics asking me if I was okay." Sergeant Harris said the first thing he did when he opened his eyes was to make sure he still had all his body parts and he struggled to look down at his legs. "I didn't know what was going on until I was in the hospital," he said. "I thought to myself, 'Am I going to live?'" Luckily, the explosion left him alive, with only a closed head wound, multiple contusions, cuts and burns. "I was dazed for a little while with constant headaches," said Sergeant Harris. "I had insomnia. I felt very sore and had many nightmares." The incident left Sergeant Harris tense and nervous, he said. However, the experience has shown him a new way of looking at his life. "It helped me realize how good I have it here, and how I took a lot of things for granted, such as my own life," said the sergeant. "Being in that kind of environment has changed my whole outlook on the Air Force." Heading home After being sent home, a few months later Sergeant Harris was informed by his first sergeant that he was to receive a Purple Heart. The best way to describe what I was feeling at the time was 'honored' said Sergeant Harris, when he received his award. One particularly delighted aunt of his wiped away tears of joy. "I'm overwhelmed and proud of my nephew for his accomplishments in the Air Force," said Daney Harris-Jackson, smiling with a crumpled tissue in her hand at the ceremony. Sergeant Harris' oldest uncle, Solomon Harris, said the family is proud of Huey because he is a kid with high integrity who is dedicated to his duty. He's thankful and grateful to the Lord for protecting him during the explosion. Out in the desert or back home in Maryland, the sergeant finds people who care for him like family no matter where he goes. "It was like a family environment out there," said Sergeant Harris, "Enough attacks bring everyone close and we all depend on one another to make sure we bring each other home." He still talks to people he deployed with, keeping in touch through the phone and emailing, said the sergeant. "If I were to be deployed and do it all over again, it would be a tough decision," said Sergeant Harris. "But I'm just glad to be back."