Charles Alphanzo Harris II

On August 28th, 2021 United States Navy Commander Charles Alphanzo Harris II passed away from a rare aggressive cancer attributed to his service with the United States Navy.

Harris began his military career at the United States Naval Academy where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and received his Commission in May of 2002. He was assigned to the USS Donald Cook as a Communications and Electrical Officer, the Destroyer Squadron Two One as a Training Officer, the USS Dewey as an Engineer Officer, the USS Freedom as an Operations Officer, and most recently, the USS Howard as an Executive Officer. He also conducted a Personnel Exchange Program with the Royal Navy serving in HMS York and HMS Endurance as an Officer of the Watch and Navigator.

On May 6, 2021 Harris  gathered on the flight deck of and assumed command of the USS HOWARD DDG 83 ship and her mighty Dragons. It was his lifelong goal to be in command of a Naval destroyer and after 19 years of hard work, sacrificing over 400 days of leave, countless months apart due to deployments, he made it. His wife Elizabeth stated that she had never been prouder of him than the day she pinned his Command at Sea star onto his uniform.

United States Navy Commander Charles Alphanzo Harris is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, and their daughters, Annika and Quinn.

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