Press Releases
The Office of U.S. Representative Trent Kelly Honors Vietnam Veteran
Tupelo,
November 19, 2021
TUPELO - The office of U.S. Representative Trent Kelly (R-Miss.) hosted a ceremony to officially designate the United States Post Office in Tupelo as the "Colonel Carlyle 'Smitty' Harris Post Office." In August, President Joe Biden signed into law H.R. 208, a bill introduced by Congressman Kelly earlier this year.
"Col. Harris defended our great Nation with courage and bravery," Rep. Kelly said. "After his capture, Col. Harris endured eight years of torture and starvation while never giving in to his captors. Instead, Col. Harris made the most of his training by using a communication system called the Tap Code to convey messages to other prisoners. After the war, Col. Harris continued to lead service members until his retirement from the Air Force in 1979. Over the years, Col. Harris has devoted himself to public service as an advocate for numerous charitable organizations. His accomplishments are many and his accolades are too numerous to name, but through it all, Col. Harris has remained a humble servant to his community. As people enter the post office that bears his name, they will be reminded of this outstanding man who proudly served the greatest Nation on Earth." "Tupelo has been very supportive of me and my family," Col. Harris said. "Though neither Louise nor I grew up here, we have adopted Tupelo and in return, Tupelo has adopted us. The kids grew up here, made lots of friends, and got a good education. We have loved it as have our three kids, seven grandkids, and four great-grandkids, who all live in Tupelo. Now, I have the great honor to have the Tupelo Post Office named after me. I am deeply grateful for Congressman Trent Kelly's leadership and strong devotion to the citizens of Mississippi's First Congressional District. I could have never dreamed of such a wonderful outcome and honor." Congressman Trent Kelly represents Mississippi's First Congressional District. He serves on the House Armed Services Committee, serving as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations. Congressman Kelly also serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the House Agriculture Committee, and the House Budget Committee. This is his fourth term. ### |