Page 14 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2017- Online Magazine

Brigadier General
Gary Harber
ive-
year
Fold
Gary Harber
was noted
publicly for
boldness
when he
backed up
traffic, as
he rode
his tricycle
down Columbia Avenue in
Centerville, Tennessee, to his
parent’s grocery store. As he grew,
he earned respect as the youngest
professional photographer in
Tennessee. Gary was hired by the
local funeral home to take pictures
of the deceased. By age 12 he
established his credentials as the
photographer for the Tennessean
and Banner newspapers. His
“press pass” allowed him to
capture images for the reporter
who transported him in her car.
In 1955 after graduating from
Hickman County High School
in Centerville, Gary joined the
Tennessee Army National Guard.
He served his beloved America
for 42 years, retiring as a Brigadier
General in 1997. He achieved
Master Army Aviator and has
more than 15,000 military and
civilian flying hours. General
Harber oversaw operations in
America, Europe, and Central
America. In Europe he served
as the NATO Northern Regional
Wartime Construction Manager
and Commander of the 194th
Engineer Brigade (Theatre
Army). In Central America he
commanded the nation-building
efforts primarily focused on
Panama, Honduras, and Costa
Rica, building roads through the
jungle and constructing schools,
clinics, and support facilities. He
14 Lubbock Senior Link
Lubbock’s Southern
Brigadier General
was assigned to the Pentagon on of a VA
numerous occasions including as Super Clinic
Chief, Construction Branch, Army in Lubbock.
Installations Division. He also Generals Walt
served on the Chief of Engineers Huffman,
General Officer’s Executive Edgar Murphy,
Council under Lieutenant General and Harber
Henry “Hank” Hatch which combined
advised on matters relative to efforts to
Engineer Unit Requirements and ensure its
Wartime missions. The Council, realization.
comprised of five General Officer (See pp. 6-7 for
Commanders, was heavily that fascinating
involved in Desert Shield/Desert story.) General
Storm. Harber states
that one of his
General Harber never lets the motivations for
injuries he suffered in a helicopter assisting with
crash in the ‘60s affect the stalwart the new Super
support he demonstrates to current Clinic was to
and past soldiers and their families. “provide for
One of the ways he chooses to those who have
stay “relevant” is by being active served this
in volunteering with veterans country and
who are on hospice care. Welby helped to make it the great and free
Smith, another Vet-to-Vet hospice nation that it is.” General Huffman
Volunteer says, “The general is stated, “General Harber’s expertise
a wonderful Christian man who in developing federal projects has
serves God and others, a true proved indispensable.”
American hero. He still loves and
serves veteran hospice patients, Years after retirement, Gary recalls
and it is an honor to visit [them] an incident that changed his life.
with him.” Gary is also a member Gary saw a film entitled “We were
of the Daedalians (Military Pilot Soldiers”. The war film depicted
Organization) and is a Federal how many soldiers’ lives were lost.
Aviation Administration (FAA) The fighting scenes triggered his
civilian flight training instructor. personal memories of war, and
as hot tears rolled down his face,
General Harber wants every reader he remembered the passionate,
to know that the Bible is applicable patriotic soldiers who had served
to the struggles we face today. with him. He felt he should have
He saw himself as a “marginal been there with them. He exited
Christian” until he actually read the theater with a very heavy heart.
the little Bible in his flight suit Then he vividly remembers God
pocket, while flying with another flooding his heart, reassuring him
pilot years ago. He realized God that their deaths were “not your
was personally guiding him. The fault.” A large weight lifted, a yoke
trajectory of his life changed, and he did not realize he had been tied
he began to focus more on others. to for countless years. General
Harber wants to pass that message
Recently, General Bernhard along to other soldiers and military
Mittemeyer initiated the concept