~This symbol follows the story in each chapter

 

 

Chapter 7 - Simply a Leader

UGA, Cheerleading, Dark Night of the Soul, 9-11

 

Mantra of Change (On the way to UGA)
I am in God’s hands.
I am full of positive energy, ideas, and thought.
I am open and receptive to the ideas and the path that will lead me there.
I am on the path and I walk with God.
I am open to the infinite intelligence of the universe as it guides me.
I believe in myself.

 

Dad (Published in the 1999 Gilmer High School yearbook, the Bobcat)
Son, what makes us so proud is the person you have become... a true gentleman, kind and compassionate to all you meet, a fierce competitor and a good sport with an impeccable character and determination to succeed at each thing you do. We send you on with these words of advice...Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved (William Jennings Bryan).

 

~ Mom: Leaving Home
We were glad that Noah, Mikey, and Mike Jung wanted the “big dawg” Rick to come with them on the senior trip to the beach. That way they could fly out of the nest, but be confident there was a safety net just in case they needed it. I remember Noah calling from the beach and telling me, “Mom, you’d be proud of me; Mikey and Mike are OK, too, but you’re gonna have to have a little talk with Dad.”  They had a ball, but with the exception of the sky-diving jump on his 18^th birthday, Noah settled into what was a normal, “calm,” activity-packed schedule of working at the Gap, making trips to cheer events in Athens, cliff-jumping into the lake and getting chased by the park ranger with wrestling buddy Twinkie, water-skiing with “J-Rod,” running and body building every day, and, of course, working on the acreage with Dad. Because he still entertained aspirations of pursuing a film/theater career, he also maintained his commitment to audition around Atlanta. Though acting never panned out as a career, he gave it a shot and learned valuable work ethic lessons. Among his credits are the leads in an independent movie as well as a bit part in The Substitute 4. Noah played a wordless sniper who met a bloody end at the hands of the lead, Treat Williams. As the summer wore on, we didn’t talk much about his imminent departure to the University, and when we did it was through writing prayers of affirmation, discussing philosophy, and sharing poetry.

 

Mom: “18^th Birthday” (June 25, 1999)
To my one hunk of a son who has just begun,
But already won the Earth and the moon.
I give you the sky and the stars far flung wide
...And every song unsung.

 

~ Our UGA freshman orientation weekend started out with high spiritedness. Noah and his roommate, Mike Jung, had signed up for the same time slot so that Mike could hitch a ride and we could all go over together. We spent the night in a hotel close to campus and when we went out to dinner and took in the sights of downtown Athens, they were positively giddy, sure that they had the world by the tail. In the morning, along with about 2,000 other students and parents, we piled into the opening event, and I could tell the boys couldn’t wait to go to the break-out session that would separate the incoming freshmen from the parents. When they left, Rick and I dutifully attended our sessions which consisted of folks giving testimonials about how we parents should spend the rest of the summer teaching our kids survival skills like how to do wash. It was vital and informative, but kind of dull, and I thought, “Bet the guys aren’t bored.”

 

When we met them at the end of the day for the joint parent/student orientation, they weren’t bored; they were deflated. I remember Noah saying, “Mom, why didn’t they tell us to study for the entrance tests? I thought orientation was supposed to be fun. I just found out that my math scores placed me in pre-calc. This is going to be harder than I thought.” I said, “Well if you already knew it all, what would be the point of college or classes?” I knew he could handle it and that the UGA athletic department was going to keep a watchful eye on his studies. When the speaker started by saying something like, “I’m not going to mince words; there are fifty-two liquor licenses within walking distance of the campus,” it was ominous, but Noah had signed his cheer contract, and it was very strict, which he liked because of the structure and the clear code of ethics. As he and Mike went off to the dorm to get checked in for their night of “campus life,” I thought, “No big deal.” Rick and I headed back to the hotel to get ready to meet them later for dinner.

 

Things started to go a little haywire when Noah and Mike failed to call at the appointed time. I was surprised because Noah was never one to pass up food. We were kind of mad when the freshman called two hours late and asked us to come get them. I remember patting Rick’s arm and telling him, “It’ll take a few months to adjust and then he’ll be completely independent, you’ll see.” When we got to the dorm, the guys were looking kind of sheepish. Their story was that an older guy Noah had met at a weight-training event took Noah and Mike on a “forced march” through downtown Athens to show them the ropes.

 

Both postured like they were mad at the older guy, but Noah admitted later he’d had a great time except for looking over his shoulder to see if the cheer sponsor might be watching. They apologized profusely, and I was starting to feel a little sorry for Noah when he said, “Mom, I’m so hungry. Can we still go get something to eat?” Dad quietly flumed steam out the ears, but we made sure they were full and happy. Then, we dropped them off for the “night at the dorm,” and watched as they waved and then turned and blended into a swaying, shadowy, shouting mass of humanity. We’d said goodbye before, but this was different. I remember thinking, “Say your prayers!”

 

Joanna McNally...
I worked at the front desk at Russell Hall our freshman year and Noah frequently would stop to chat on his way in or out of the dorm. Throughout our four years at Georgia, we had many classes together and I’d see him out at parties. I always enjoyed talking with Noah—his friendly personality and quick wit always made him a joy to be around.

 

~ For the rest of the summer, Noah wrote in his journals ideas about how he should go about making the necessary paradigm shift in his habits. He read Frank Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective Leaders and reread The Magic of Believing. He knew he would have to make some changes to succeed, but he struggled to craft his prayers and mantras so his metamorphosis would be smooth. Aside from his family and cousin David, most people never realized how hard Noah thought about things. We had many kitchen table talks during which we reminded each other of our commitment to the broad intellectual, philosophical, and spiritual ideas we had always embraced. Rick admonished, “Son, remember you are a spiritual being having a human experience.” I wanted him to grasp that, while life is good and so are most people, all individuals must struggle; and as one of my favorite poets, William Blake, penned, “...without contraries is no progression.” Noah definitely wanted to progress and land in the center of the action.

 

Kahil Gibran (From: “On Children”)
...You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let our bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable...

 

~ I’d tell my friends, “I am leaking a few tears every day, so that I don’t have a big flood when the day comes. This is what he has prepared for all of his life. I’m going to celebrate!” Also, I tried to make jokes about how little laundry and cooking I’d be doing, but I kept telling Noah he’d best bring his laundry because I’d be upset if he didn’t. He knew I was always good for food and would love to continue our long-established practice of doing research together. The truth is, as the time got closer, I was more worried about Noah than I was about me. Rick and I had season tickets to the games, and I knew we would be seeing him a lot through cheering; I was in my nice, safe haven, but he was getting ready to leave the only home he’d ever known.

 

 

When the day of departure finally dawned, dressed in his red DAWG uniform, with his little Corolla piled with personal effects, he drove straight to a function where the cheerleaders were making a public appearance. To us, it was exciting; to him it was stressful. Noah called at least three times on the way to UGA, and he kept telling me, “I am opening up to the universe, Mom. I’m doing it. I’m doing it.”  I could tell by the way he was speaking those words, as though to himself, that Noah was struggling to stride into his new reality; his positive expectancy was a little shaky, so I did my best to encourage him, "Hoo-ah, Baby!” Luckily, Coach Braswell had paired the newcomers with older cheerleaders, and he stayed with the captain, Ricky Lee.

 

Later that night, he called to say everything was o.k., but he needed a little help. He said, “Hey, Mom, there’s no functioning alarm clock here, so could you call and get me up?” I was delighted, and for the rest of his life, even when he was at Fort Benning, he’d request a wake-up call, and I would just put it at the top of my every present “to do” list. It was a great way to start the day, not quite like a twenty-mile ride through the awakening mountain dawn, but it was lovely just to hear his voice; he always closed with “YMETM, Mama.” Noah wasn’t used to girls and their particular issues. When one of his partners told him that she was prone to mood swings and he’d better get used to it, he developed a special acronym, CCR. “Compliment, Compassion, Reassurance.” He was determined that he would use his positive thinking skills to rise above because he sure didn’t want to hear the whole squad calling him, “Fffrrreessshhhman!”

 

Noah (Freshman Journal)
Why I let myself be affected by others’ reactions to ME, I do not know. They are seeing me through their own insecurities and problems. I know that the ideal actions I should take are based on what is in MY head. Getting upset over the way they react is me trying to take control of the universe myself. This takes the power out of God’s hands. If I let go of my attachment to people’s reactions, I’ll remember that everything is perfect. I’ve got to quit cutting off the flow of infinite intelligence and the abundance of joy and energy flowing to me. I realize that I am a beautiful creation of God, and I don’t need to rely on other peoples’ opinions; I just need to rely on what I know to be true. If a person has a problem with me, that is their problem, not mine. The most important thing is that I be myself. I will remember to focus on what I have to give rather than what I will receive. I will shine the light on others and ultimately, that light will shine on me. Positive attitudes are contagious. PS—I must get sleep and food, otherwise I am a cranky individual and fall out of my peak performance energy, start to feel insecure, and worry about how my hair looks and if it will fall out when I get old!

Ricky Lee (Cheerleader mentor)
I first met Noah while cheering at the University of Georgia. Noah was just starting out and I took over the job of teaching the new kid how to stunt and introducing him to the college. Training during the summer consisted of two-a-day practices… in mid-summer…in Georgia. Noah was already an accomplished athlete, but starting anything new is a challenge. He caught on to the basic stunts very quickly. The biggest challenge seemed to be how to work as a team, how to come together and sync up our stunts. Noah seemed to work harder than anyone to be perfect when we hit the field. I could tell Noah was not the kind of man to settle for mediocrity, he was going to do all that he could to be the best he could.

 

 

Our first official cheerleading event was Picture Day before the beginning of the ’99 football season. Fans come out to Picture Day to take pictures with the players, coaches, UGA, and cheerleaders. It seemed to be one of the hottest days of the year. We spent almost all day outside, lifting children onto our shoulders and smiling for cameras in these all white uniforms (which Noah and I hated). Besides being all white, they were HOT and it was August! It is an amazing feeling to be there on this day. As a cheerleader, you work very hard to be the best you can to support the football team. You expect all of the fans to come out to take pictures with their favorite players, but when you realize that these fans and children come to see you and are thrilled when you give them your attention, it makes all the hard work from the summer worth every minute. Everyone’s family always came out and Noah was excited to meet all of them. Noah was just excited to be a part of this special day, in spite of the heat and the uniforms. I could see on his face the dedication he had to his team, the conviction he felt to represent UGA, but also his compassion and joy when playing with the kids and shaking hands. His excitement was infectious.   

 

Throughout the football season Noah and I buddied up. We always roomed together on trips, spotted for each other, and worked together on our stunts. We could both eat more than most people. We ate anywhere and everything. I was pretty sure we would put the dining halls out of business. I had more experience than Noah and we spent time working together and practicing. I continued to teach him things I had learned and patiently waited while he worked to get things just right.  Noah was always eager to show his improvement, but new he was the new kid and was always humble. I always admired the balance he had in his life. Even though I was his teacher, he challenged me in academics. He was much more prepared for college than I had been and balanced his cheerleading responsibilities and school work better than I did. I knew that if a freshman, brand new to college, could manage these things, I could too.

 

~ Rick (Cauliflower ear from counseling Noah on the phone)
Noah’s freshman year at UGA, I thought initially I would be going through major withdrawal having Noah gone from home. I already felt deep pangs of missing him, but I soon found out that was not going to be the case. In his freshman year, he had to live in the dorm, and it was a major adjustment for him. He was in a small room with a roommate in a resident hall of maniacal, testosterone-driven, newly released from home freshmen. To him, it was 24/7 chaos with no quiet time. Our home was hidden away in the middle of the forest where things were quiet and peaceful and Noah grew up in his own room overlooking the creek.

Now he had a roommate, Mike Jung, who had been one of his best friends on and off the football field. Noah was used to us but not accustomed to living so closely in a situation where nothing is private. The acronym TMI (too much information) seems to fit as a description of his life. He suddenly couldn't get away from knowing too much about too many things; everything was just a little too personal. On top of this adjustment, there was the constant activity, someone running down the narrow hallway beating on doors, people screaming, doors slamming, noise and music all the time. It was so confusing. He used to complain about the guys at the other end of the hall throwing “hunch punch” parties, and turning on the karaoke machine at 3 a.m., and singing country songs at the top of their lungs. “You don’t have to call me darlin’, Darlin’. You never even called me by my name.”

 

He’d go ask them to hold it down and, Noah being Noah, would invariably get drawn into the party. The next thing he knew, he would be dragging to workout or practice at 5:45, having had little sleep. Knowing Noah as I did, I knew he required a great deal of food and rest to maintain his athletic body as well as his very tight schedule. I knew he was heading for trouble because he was not getting the rest and his environment was totally troublesome. It was disturbing his “WA,” a martial arts term for inner harmony.

 

He had just come from a place where he’d been the big man on campus, knew where everything was and who everyone was, and now he was in a situation where he even had to ride the bus to get to class on time. Nevertheless, Noah intended to forge ahead and find his leadership groove at UGA. Before leaving home, he had prepared himself to refine his leadership skills and to become more effective in the art of motivating people. I saved the biographies from Investor’s Business Daily and he read each and every one carefully, looking for their keys to success. Nicolas Tesla became one of his heroes because he was a passionate inventor who was known to go without sleep. I don't know of any Noah patents, but he was definitely learning to go without sleep.

 

Noah always enjoyed a challenge and lots of excitement, but now he was having a hard time figuring out how to deal with his own life. He was accustomed to getting the support and help he needed to achieve his lofty goals, but now his tutor/counselor mom and his mentor/counselor dad were not as available to help him. He was seeing that the great wall of society that had always supported him was now looming as an insurmountable barrier. But Noah never let it show, most people never knew he was struggling. He came home every weekend he didn’t have a game—with a car full of dirty laundry. He just came right in as if he had never left; glad to get out of the dorm and glad to escape. As we roamed through the woods together, I could tell how the peace and stillness of the forest had taken on a new meaning for him.

 

Noah (untitled)
Looking for a way to see clearly again:
Puzzle pieces we are in this picture called humanity,
In a place of contradiction, many are confused,
Top is bottom, bottom top; they have been fused.

 

~ The phone call/arm chair conversations continued. Some weeks he would call me every day while Lucy was at school. I had a manufacturing consulting business at the time and my schedule was usually pretty flexible. It was Mr. Mom all over again. His world was just upside down; it was a case of the small-town nature-boy from the forest comes to the big campus. It was a whole ’nother world. He expressed many times that he felt as if he were being swallowed up and, like a fish out of water; he was overwhelmed and gasping for breath. So we would talk and talk. Mostly we talked about personal self-development and regaining his internal balance and peace of mind because that’s what he needed.

 

Noah (October 1999, Dad’s birthday card)
Without you pushing me to be better and keeping me in line, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. It is a blessing having you as a father.

 

~ Noah struggled to discern his unfolding destiny and always worried he would not fulfill his potential. He had learned from experience that a person of character can make good choices which create a solid foundation for tomorrow. In this unstable situation, Noah was struggling with the decision-making process. He always wanted to do the right thing to fulfill his goals and be in harmony with life, and now in college, there was just so much going on, that he sometimes went off in the wrong direction.

 

Occasionally, he would disappoint someone because he wasn’t sure whether he was coming or going and this bothered him badly. I told him he had to get back to his center and into the Christ light. He had to learn how to relax and get focused so I showed him how to turn off the “chattering voice” in his head, and how to breath so he could pull his attention back within to the calm of his center. I told him that if he didn’t focus his mind and manage his emotions, the distractions of the world would create anxiety, stress, and confusion in his life.

 

Noah (Thank you note)
You are my beacon and my solid hermit. So much of who I am today and who I will become is because of you and the family and home you built. You are and always will be my guru. I pray for guidance and God speaks through you. You show me the way. WAMH! I love you, Noah

~ He knew and understood how hard it was to control the mind and emotions because he had heard it all his life, but now he had to practice it while learning how to actually live on his own and deal with the many issues of college life. One such issue involved a really nice girl, who liked him a lot, but he had commitment issues and having a permanent girlfriend was not something he wanted to deal with at the time. Then, there was the time another girl broke his heart because she had commitment issues. Sometimes, I would feel like he was going under, and then I wouldn’t hear from him for a few days, and he’d come home and I’d see evidence of change, but it was two steps forward and three back. Lucy would remind me of what she always told parents, “Young adults need far more attention than babies do.” It was the typical bird-out-of-the-nest thing. He was flying, but nobody knew how close he came to crashing.

 

Davis Berg (Jacksonville, Fla.)
Noah was undoubtedly one of the all-time greats, a person you tell your children about. I still remember wrestling him in Athens on Basinger's carpet at 2 a.m and getting pretzeled REAL FAST. That was five years ago. Last summer I had the pleasure of taking him surfing, and the image of a 220 lb. boulder sinking the board is forever burned in my head, along with that grin. We always had a good time....His good heart, I feel, is still doing good works.

 

Mark Polk of Watkinsville, Ga.
“We should not cry for the soldiers lost at war but yet praise God that such men lived.” Noah worked for my mom at United Cheerleading and had a huge impact on my life; it was Noah that got me to stop drinking sugary drinks. It may sound pointless, but it was not. I still do not drink sugar; it was more of a thing through Noah and me.

 

~ Mom
I always told everyone, “The best thing I’ve ever done is motherhood.” The house really did seem quieter, not exactly echoing and hollow, but Noah had his own way of making the knotty-pine floor-boards creak, and I still miss hearing him thud against the wall of his built-in bed. That’s why I cherish the memories no matter how strange. One afternoon, I remember, Rick said, “Honey, before I say anything, I want you to know that Noah is all right.” He knew that I would faint before he got the whole story out if he started any other way with the news about Noah’s car being totaled when it got hit by a flying deer.

 

The outcome was good because it meant that Noah would be home for the weekend to go buy a new car. I remember Rick sternly warning the college freshman to be home by a certain time if he wanted new wheels. When Noah called that Saturday morning to say he had just awakened over in Athens at the precise moment he was supposed to be pulling into the driveway in his rental car and, “...Mama, could you stall Dad?” I remember taking a deep breath. I never got a word out because Rick started to go off like Vesuvius; and then Noah walked across the deck, opened the door, and rolled on the floor laughing because he had gotten Armageddon’s goat.

 

Even when he felt he was going backward, we could see that, in thought, word, and deed, he was an activist, pressing forward. We’d ask him, “What about all the good you are doing?” He was struggling, but he remembered to keep on keeping on, and he was always a good son, ready to help. One weekend he came home from Athens and helped his dad dig out the lines to the septic tank which made building the cupola seem like child’s play. As a college freshman, he wasn’t the optimist he had always been, but he struggled to take full responsibility for his life and follow the path of his beliefs; it was obvious that sometimes he was flailing, his broad-mindedness bombarded by a morass of conflicting ideas and his healthy skepticism flirting with self-doubt. It seemed that some days he loved color and people and life; and others he was struggling to hang on to a gray, bumpy ride. We were so thankful he had the lodestone of UGA Athletics to help him navigate.

 

 

Game Day – GO DAWGS!

Larry Munson, pre-game “Battle Hymn”
Glory, Glory to Old Georgia! Heroes have graced the field before, men with hearts, bodies, and minds of which the entire Bulldog Nation can be proud. The tradition of unbridled excellence demonstrated by these individuals and many others spans more than a whole century; and now a new breed of Bulldog stands ready to take the field of battle to assume the reigns of their forebears and continue that tradition, understanding that there is no tradition more worthy of envy, no institution worthy of such loyalty as the University of Georgia. As we prepare for another meeting between the hedges, let all the Bulldog faithful rally behind the men who now wear the Red and Black, with two words, two simple words, which express the sentiment of the entire Bulldog Nation. GO DAWGS!

 

Mom (College Flashback)
I graduated from Georgia’s sometime rival, Clemson University. My Aunt Lucy and Colonel Wade Padgett still live at Clemson; my grandfather, Granny’s husband, Pop Glenn, was a professor and one of the engineers on the original Death Valley (Tiger Football Stadium). I am no stranger to “fan”atical excitement when it comes to the college gridiron experience, but nothing could have prepared me for the electrifying experience of attending Georgia football games.

 

Shelly Korpieski O’Brian (Noah’s Co-captain, Falcons Cheerleader, Spirit Coordinator, UGA)
Noah and I cheered together for 3 wonderful years, and looking back, I cherish every moment of the time I spent with him... Everywhere he went, people followed and looked up to him... He also taught countless lessons along the way – like what is truly important in life... Noah lived each day as if it were his last. He woke up with a smile on his face and a can-do attitude...

 

~ That’s funny because some of our wake-up call conversations were filled with his confoundedness when it came to what he called, “The wonderful world of women.” He just couldn’t get the hang of how to talk to them without making them laugh at him, express frustration toward him, or cry about something he had said or done. I had often kidded both him and Rick that I was outnumbered in a man’s world; maybe he was experiencing the reverse. I tried to remind him it was probably pretty scary flying up into the air like that and the girls had issues to deal with that were a bit different from his. He understood and enjoyed the fact they were the ones who carried all the stress, but he was eager for suggestions, and he dutifully worked on his “listening.” There was one cheerleader with whom, no matter what he did, communication at the level he appreciated was inconceivable. He said she was “Just impossible!” but, as he struggled, I kept reminding him he should use this situation as an opportunity to grow. I told him to remember the words that can be found in all of the great books of the great religions and philosophies: “The perfect servant is the perfect master.” I’d tell him to “Put that in your mantra and work it out.” He did; and with the exception of his poor old broken nose, he soon had a great time with the girls.

Noah’s Cheerleading Mantra
I rise filled with positive energy and ideas. My energy and enthusiasm are contagious. Each person or group I interact with feels my confidence and enthusiasm. I easily gain rapport and am comfortable being with each person or group I encounter. I am comfortable and confidant in each situation and with each person I meet. All is possible. All is attainable. In each moment I am protected...I enter each day with non-judgment and an open mind. I am cool and relaxed in my confidence. I am in control of my emotions. God has me in his hands and has my greatest interest at heart. Each day that rises is a beautiful day full of opportunity.

 

Molly Lane (Cheerleader Buddy/Girlfriend)
Noah was a very encouraging person to me... so full of life, a great leader and motivational... We ALL loved him.

 

~ Of all the ideas about what to expect and do on Game Day which were frequently suggested by the passionate Georgia fans in Ellijay, such as “...walk through the arches,” “...ring the victory bell,” “...visit the student center for the latest in gear,” “...pet UGA VI, the bulldog,” “...attend the Red and Black Band Rally,” it was my GHS buddy and super Bulldog fan, Lynn Pritchett, who gave me the best advice, “Lucy, wear your tennis shoes.” At that first game, I remember walking for miles through a massive festival of red and black Bulldog Nation jubilation that I am sure can be seen from outer space and would rival any other major celebration on Planet Earth. Rolling through the beautifully appointed grounds which surround the time honored academic buildings, it was a sight, sound, and aroma extravaganza with barbecue grills, wide screen televisions, and radios blaring "The Voice of the Bulldawg Nation," Larry Munson, “Oh, God! A touchdown!” Nothing compares to the massive spirit of good will exhibited by the merry members of the Bulldog congregation.

 

 

Chip Towers (AJC, 4/11/08)
When Rob Ellis came up with the idea of creating a Larry Munson bobblehead doll, he did so with the thought of how much money could be made. Now that the idea is a reality, neither he nor Munson are going to make a dime—and that's just the way they want it. At Munson's request, all proceeds from the new bobblehead doll, which is coming soon to a store near you, will go to the Noah Harris Memorial Scholarship Fund. Harris, a former Georgia cheerleading captain who befriended Munson while attending UGA was killed in Iraq in June of 2005. Harris, an officer in the U.S. Army, was 23. “Larry has always been a huge supporter of the cheerleaders, and the first or second time I met with him to talk about this he said he wanted all his money to go to Noah's scholarship,” said Ellis, an insurance broker who lives in Savannah. “When he said that, I got to thinking, 'Well, I don't want to make any money on it if he's not going to.' “So I decided I'd do the same thing. We took it to Georgia, and they said they'd do it, too. So that's how it got started, and it just kind of grew from there.” This is not your average bobblehead. It's more of a seven-inch statue than plastic toy. It's a remarkable likeness of Munson in the 1980s, and it reproduces some of his greatest calls. Flick a switch between the feet of Bobblehead Larry, and he'll growl out five of his most famous calls: “Run Lindsay,” “Hobnail Boot,” “Sugar Falling Out of the Sky,” “Oh, You Herschel Walker” and “Oh, God a Touchdown!” “He was involved from the very beginning, [from] conceptuals [and] artists renderings, and we brought up a clay mock-up,” Ellis said. “He saw the finished version, laughed and said, 'That's pretty good.' “Family and friends of Harris were blown away that Munson would designate all the proceeds to their scholarship fund. Munson, football coach Mark Richt, swimming coach Jack Bauerle and UGA spirit coordinator Shelly Korpieski O'Brien were instrumental in getting the scholarship started after Harris' death. But they remain well short of the $150,000 needed to fully endow it. “It's taking a while,” said O'Brien, who cheered with Harris and co-captained the 2001 squad with him. “Actually, Munson approached me about endowing a scholarship in Noah's name a few years ago, and he and his fishing buddies vowed to get it done.”

 

Shelly
I do want to let you know that there is someone else who is “behind the scenes” in all of this, but he has told me on numerous occasions that he wishes to remain anonymous... this “silent stranger” ...he had a great fondness for Noah, and they seemed to have a strong friendship, from what I have been told. He has been very instrumental in everything, and I am grateful for his support and kindness...

 

~ Like “Sugar falling out of the sky,” the story of generosity and love is simply epic; but that’s just Georgia, always celebrating life and honoring what is important, like one big happy family. It is estimated that 250,000 folks flood into Athens for each game. They don’t all make it into the stadium, but those who are lucky have the experience of a lifetime, to travel as one huge, beautiful, human fractal of throbbing, barking, magnanimous spirit, flowing enthusiastically toward Sanford Stadium. Sporadically, we would see Noah and the cheerleaders bouncing in the back of a spirit-draped pick-up, creating a loud wave of “UGA, UGA, UGA!” madness in their wake. In Athens, everybody loves the cheerleaders and Hairy Dawg. One time when we were visiting a tailgate party with a lot of Gilmer friends, I heard a roar of cheering behind me, and when I turned, the cheerleaders were driving by. Everybody was shouting for Noah; there he was, right in the middle of the spirit, laughing and blowing kisses to his mom.

 

Then, kind of like the old Southern expression, “molasses on Sunday,” we’d ooze in the direction of the game. It was like being in a holiday parade, 90,000+ people, all leaning toward the gates, shaking hands, patting each other on the back, clapping, excited to enter the portals of the arena and witness what was potentially an historic, fierce match up. It was a chance to touch and be a part of the tradition of success and allow the eyes and heart to sweep toward a victorious continuity, a celebration of humanity’s goodness. Everybody stands up for the whole game and each big play is accompanied by a quantum explosion of a quintillion voices cheering for the dogs! “GOOO Dogs! Sic ’em! Woof, Woof, Woof, Woof, Woof!” We’d keep one eye on the game and one eye on the cheerleaders because we didn’t want to miss it when Noah “threw a diamond” with three girls in his hands; and we thought it was funny when we’d see one of the coaches pull Noah back from running down the field like he might jump into the action.

 

Mark Cathy (UGA Cheerleader, 2001, Powder Springs, Ga.)
Noah was a strong man that had a personality that others flocked to. Always smiling, he challenged me to be stronger. He went to Iraq because of 9/11, he told me “I want to be a part of something bigger than myself.”

 

~ Afterwards, there was another tailgate party with lots of food and fellowship. Good thing, too, because we were all hoarse from screaming, exhausted from jumping up and down, and excited at how the Bulldogs had rolled. The best part was we got to see Noah as he plowed through the amazing smorgasbord of Southern cooking. Then we would stroll to our car and we would drive him to his apartment, laughing and talking. There was no rush because traffic was snarled and we enjoyed the fellowship. Finally, it would be time for the 13 hugs and a three-way kiss that he was never embarrassed to share with his mom and dad in public... and then another... and sometimes another. It was indescribably poignant and we wanted to extend the moment, Rick and I, because we missed our champ and Noah because as he said, “I am homesick the minute you pull away.”

 

Merrill and Jim Nash:
Noah had a zillion friends who will always remember the fun times they had with him.

 

 

~ The whole time he cheered at UGA, Georgia had winning seasons, and Noah had great fun traveling all around the SEC to away games, not to forget the bowl games and trips to Jacksonville, Oregon, and Hawaii. No matter how crazy his life was, he maintained his role as a varsity athlete. He took it very seriously and felt honored to become friends with Larry Munson and Vince Dooley. Through football season, basketball, gymnastics, and a variety of public appearance events, Noah never missed an opportunity to exhibit his pride for the UGA Bulldogs.

 

Cousin Andy (UGA, class of 2002)
Noah was the type of guy who never met a stranger, and I was always at ease around him. I gained so much from our encounters. Most people knew Noah for a short amount of time, but I was fortunate enough to have been related to him. I always enjoyed running into him at UGA (and getting a pseudo-bear hug/wrestling match), and spending time talking... and more important eating food together! I remember wanting to introduce everyone I knew to him because I knew that all of my acquaintances would benefit from the experience... I am trying to think of happier days like eating contests at Uncle Carson’s Barbeque and walking on the quad together at UGA... all of the wonderful memories come flooding back...

 

~ At one close Auburn game which Georgia lost, Rick and I were up in the stands watching Noah as the stadium started to drain. All of the sudden, our boy took off after an Auburn player who was doing an “in your face” victory dance on his way to the locker room. I could tell that there was going to be trouble, and though he couldn’t hear me, I remember yelling, “Noah! Noah! Stop that!” Luckily, Clay and some of the other cheerleaders caught hold of his jacket. It took three guys to hold him back; he was swinging wildly and yelling. We thought he was in “big” trouble because part of the cheerleading contract specifies that certain infractions make the cheerleader in question subject to immediate dismissal. One of those infractions is fighting. However, as it turns out, Noah was ready to take on a guy who was literally twice his size because the guy had ripped up a piece of Georgia’s sacred hedge as he shoved and knocked down the UGA cheerleaders’ physical trainer who was a girl. Noah was righteously angry, and, luckily, so was Coach Braswell.

 

Clay (DAWG DAYS)
“What up, Dawg?” I can still hear it today, his introductory line, presenting himself to friends and family. I was lucky enough to hear this line quite a few times, running the streets of Athens, Ga., Honolulu, Hawaii, or wandering down the mountain streams of North Georgia with Noah Harris. His tags still dangle from my neck and always will; like the memories that Noah and I shared, forever. As part of the University of Georgia Cheerleading team, Noah and I had the opportunity to visit the state of Hawaii for the Aloha Bowl. As the ramblers of the team, Noah and I could not wait to get off the plane and begin to enjoy the beautiful, tropical paradise. Once the plane landed, we checked in with Coach Braswell, gave our bags to our cheerleading partners, rented a Jeep Wrangler and there we went. As we drove the coast of Oahu, HI, the excitement of exploring was upon us, so, of course, we gathered some of our teammates.

 

As we began one exciting day in Hawaii, I saw a Harley Davidson rental shop. Without a motorcycle permit or any experience on one of the machines, I borrowed a license from one of the band members. Noah took over as the navigator of the Jeep while I figured out how the Harley actually worked. As I followed Noah and the guys, we began to really see the wonders of Hawaii. One pit stop that we made was where the cliffs were jagged and the water would crash, shooting water tens of feet into the air. It was a picture from an art gallery or a movie. At the next stop, we found ourselves on a sandy beach with enormous waves that would crash into each other, again throwing water and foam sky high. What we didn’t know is that we had picked the time of year when a current shifts along Hawaii’s coast and produces the largest waves of the year. Yes, we were looking at them.

 

I said, “Let’s go guys.” Trying to lead the way into the unknown, I stepped into the water and the current swept away the sand under my feet. The next moment I was in the top of a huge wave looking at Noah and the guys on the shore. Then, the moment came to an abrupt stop. That would be the ground. Just when the surf, the sand, and the force of being thrown out of a ten foot wave pounded me against the sand, I felt something tugging me from the wave. It was Noah pulling me out of the water by my limbs, ecstatic. Noah was cheering for me saying, “That was awesome! You’ll be fine! It’s Hawaiian water!” I was the cool leader, but really didn’t care to go through that again, but when I described the movements to Noah, he was off. Noah jumped right into the middle of one of the waves and recreated my adventure. It only took him a couple of tries until he admitted that it was a bit painful and stopped playing in the “Hawaiian water.” Later, we pulled over on the north shore, and while sitting on a restaurant deck, we watched the sun set and the colors playing off the waves in the foreground. The sprinkler system began to water the lawn, and Noah jumped up and started to run through the spray, chanting, “It’s Hawaiian water! It’s Hawaiian water!” These are moments that I am very proud to say defined the friendship and brotherhood between Noah Harris and me. WHAT UP, DAWG?

 

~ One exciting, but scary memory for all Georgia fans is of the events that occurred during the Georgia vs. Tennessee upset of 2000 when ecstatic UGA fans rushed the field and tore the goal posts to the ground. As we watched from the stands, at first, Rick and I were confident because Clay and Noah and the other guys had formed a circle to protect the female cheerleaders, and as wave upon wave of fans washed over the fence and around the cheer platform, I kept my eyes focused on Noah’s head. At one point it disappeared, and I felt my heart leap into my mouth; it looked as though the squad had been swallowed up and trampled by the teeming mass of fans. Then, I saw Noah’s taped wrists lifting one end of the rolled up cheer flags, and using them as a guide with Clay leading and Noah bringing up the rear, they inched their way slowly through the surging sea of humanity to the exit tunnel. Rick and I held our breath the entire time, but providence was with them, and the experience of carrying the flags and leading the girls to safety became a legendary honor which they were proud to handle.

 

Eric Brown (Cheerleader and roommate)
Noah was a roommate and fellow cheerleader at UGA... I honestly think about him every day. Noah is a hero to me! What a great angel for us all to have looking over us in heaven.

 

~ Belly of the Fish (first semester, sophomore year)
He did have this one short period of terrible loneliness and self-inflicted despair. Briefly, he became nonchalant about his leadership and he suffered mightily, almost like biblical Jonah did when he ignored God’s request and was swallowed up by a great fish. Noah wasn’t in a storm-chopped sea, so he wasn’t exactly being swept backwards and under, but he was definitely treading water in a stiff current and sometimes he barely kept his nose above the water line.

 

Noah (fall semester, sophomore year)
Sleep no more, the day is here.
So much in store, the mission clear.
Chase desires, reach for stars.
Passion like wild fire, break through bars.
Over the hurdle, climb the hill,
Don’t move like a turtle, don’t sit still.
Go find a dream, chase it down.
But confusion feelings, mixed emotions and doubt,
Cause such pain inside, I want to cry out.
Where I am is so hard to tell,
Now that I've left my old, worn shell.

 

~ Although we tried to be glad about the opportunity to encourage Noah through this dark time, it was hard to put things “in the light” over the phone. Back at the kitchen table, we reaffirmed our belief that citizen leaders must confront great self-doubt and finally overcome the fear of the unknown, and we knew the hardest part of that journey is the path that must be walked alone. We felt Noah was the butterfly birthing, struggling to fight his way out of the chrysalis; we knew we couldn’t do it for him. Though he always tried to mask it with cheerful bravado, from Noah’s journals and English assignments, we know he was full of doubts, and that certain events shook him so badly he had a hard time pulling his head out from under his ancient blue blankey.

 

Noah, “The Speeding Ticket” (English assignment)
I was hurrying to a class, and I saw a clear shot and passed a car by using the middle turn lane. Unfortunately, a policeman clocked me at 15 miles over the speed limit. I ended up on probation, but only after feeling like I had let everyone down. When I think of it now, my eyes film over, and I have a sunken feeling that makes me roll over and go back to sleep until loud, violent noises ring in my eardrums, pulsing on and off. These sounds make my body jerk. I slam my feet against the tile and my first steps are difficult and blind; adjusting to my surroundings is an evolutionary ordeal. As I strain to see what’s around me, a throbbing light comes into view. My ears start to ache as I strain to see the origin of the noise, and my eyes, still hazy, squint at this dreadful light; closer I get, the clearer I see. The red light forms itself into a pattern, and I read: 5:30. I reach for the light and with all my power slam my fist down. The noise ceases and I go back to bed. 9 minutes later, I will go through it again. Rise and shine!

 

~ He taped note cards to his mirror, “Why do I believe this? Is it right? Most important: What if I am wrong?” These are all great questions, ones leaders must always ask themselves, but he was like a star pulled toward a black hole, slowly sinking into darkness. It wasn’t actually the tiny living space or the fact the air conditioner didn’t really work, but rather Noah was grappling with the idea of making his mark and filling his emptiness. His high school successes had gotten him into great position, but now he had to do something with what he felt he had been given, and, at the same time, he realized his hunger for companionship. We’d tell him, “Zen, Baby,” meaning for him to come back to the present moment and find the beauty and joy that is always present, and “What happened to your attitude of gratitude?” It was scary when he said, “It’s gone and I can’t find it.”

Noah (“Autumn Breeze”)
The fall fills me with unease,
I want to drink from the cool, blue sky,
Simply to inhale the breeze,
Before the winter makes everything die.
On such beautiful days I feel the loneliest,
The sun warming the perfect autumn air.
Bountiful white clouds cast delicate shadows on the green below,
And those same shadows appear on my heart;
A day is only beautiful when there is someone with whom to share.

 

~ The great fraternity of UGA athletics kept him on schedule and working and, no matter what else faltered, he knew it was “...great to be a Georgia Bulldog.” However, in one weekend, he’d swing from the high of cheering the ’Dogs to a big win to the low of intense loneliness mixed with personal self-doubt. In a world that seems to be upside down, to continue to do good is the challenge even for someone who had as much training as Noah. At best, it was intense, but downright painful the rest of the time.

 

Noah’s Roller Coaster (at the top of a journal page)
Mantra: I accept all experience as being provided for the benefit of my learning and growth; each experience is sufficient. I know that each new moment leads me toward becoming the ideal self I see in my highest vision of myself.

 

Noah’s Lament (same page)
Lord, do some people get their dreams and then the rest just have to suffer? Is that the way it works? “Sorry, all dreams are full at the moment,” a little recorded voice says. Is the Big Dreams Market one that will soon become saturated? Is it full? Until someone dies or retires is there just no room for me? Am I not working hard enough? Am I lazy? What am I supposed to do? God, am I just blind to signs that you are giving me? Do I just overlook them by looking for them? I know I need to let go to your will, but how? Is not getting answers from you the guidance I asked for? Is that what is going on? Lord, please help me. Please. I’ll start doing more of what I need to do. Just please, show me the way. Guide me. We’re in this together.

 

Dear Dad (Thank you note)
I know I whine sometimes, and I appreciate you being tough on me. I am so proud of you, and I am so thankful you are my dad. You are my hero. Your ever-loving son and best friend, Noah

 

~ Back at the Ranch
Noah told so many stories about his professors; he always had us laughing back in Ellijay. He worked to keep it light so that we didn’t understand he was actually struggling with the issues of being no more than a number in large classes, but painfully self-conscious in the small ones. Whenever anyone would ask him how he liked UGA, his face would light up like the Fourth of July, and he would say, “I love it.” Then he’d tell a funny story, always practicing the positive use of humor to confront personal anguish.

 

Noah (“The Spanish Exam” as told to Linda Miller, composed as an English assignment)
I had been studying really hard for my Spanish exam because at Georgia, you have to take a school-wide final with everyone in the department. It’s very serious, and my teacher who was very friendly, kind of sanguine, and concerned that we do well, told us exactly what we should be prepared for. So, I study up my Spanish because I want to keep my “A” in the class. When I get there, we all sign up for our tests by student number. It's a huge room which surprises me, and what I don’t realize is that all levels of students are testing in the same room. So, I get my test when they're handed out and I start taking it. Almost immediately, I start thinking that it is a lot harder than I expected. All of the instructions are in Spanish, and I can only make out words like “global”... “China”... and “United States,” but I keep at it, getting more and more frustrated by the minute. I start trying to figure out how to at least pass it so I can get a “C” in the class. I just do everything I can. Then, I notice that my instructor has entered the room and is acting as a proctor, so I raise my hand and she looks over and sees me and smiles. She comes over, and I whisper, “I know you told us what to study, and you know I tried really hard, but I don’t recognize a thing on this test.” She looks down at the test and screams, “Oh my God! You’ve got the wrong test. This is an upper level.” 120 pairs of eyes turn and look at me... I have already wracked my brains for an hour, but she gets me another test, and it was pretty easy after what I had been through.

 

~ Noah knew Granny’s maxim, “Honey, a job begets a job. Just keep working. One good thing leads to another.” However, the consideration of money became a big issue for him because he seemed to think a lot of money would be necessary if he was going to achieve his dreams. He was searching for his personal power on a whole new level, and because he was in the business school as well as an athlete, he came into contact with the movers and shakers of history and those of his world. His prayer cards took on a whole new meaning. He was a young man confronting the issues. “We have a short walk here and so many opportunities. Which one for me?” Also, the bottom line with Noah was that he knew he was a people person; he loved everyone and wanted to establish relationships no matter where he was. So he had a hard time fathoming what people meant when they told him, “Nice guys finish last. It’s all about money.” It didn’t make sense to him, and so he did a lot of waffling. He was always interested in politics as service, but for a career, one day he wanted to be a teacher, the next he wanted to be a millionaire. When he was really tired from teaching at the cheer gym or dragging rolls of chain-link fencing for miles, he said, “I’m going to be a real estate tycoon, buy a horse ranch out west and retire when I’m forty.”

 

Lee Shearer (Athens Banner-Herald Sept 10, 2005)
...One of the few things Harris feared was getting stuck in a mediocre job, leading a mediocre life...

~ He’d been taught to follow his bliss, but somehow he couldn’t figure out how to do that in Athens for a while. We didn’t recognize the signs at first, but after we caught him at our kitchen table drinking red wine from a soda can, he confessed he had been doing a little binge drinking. He was ashamed but he admitted he liked his hidden “rock star personality” that came out when he had too much... until the next day when he was overcome with remorse. One time he was depressed because he'd hurt his hand when he had punched a hole in a wooden fence when out carousing with some friends. He knew it wasn’t him, and he knew what he needed to do, but he still had to wallow through the dark night of the soul. He almost lost his sense of humor, but not quite. We had to laugh when he told his friends he had to get with it because, “Armageddon says that if I don’t straighten out and fly right, he’s gonna pull the plug.” Even when he was at his lowest point, he was honest. It was always what-you-see-is-what-you-get with Noah. He wanted to try everything available, so he made an appointment with a counselor who was available through the athletic department. When asked about her, he said, “She just lets me talk about everything.” “You mean like at home?” “Pretty much.” “Well, how’s it going?” “She doesn’t think I’m an alcoholic. I guess I’m just lonely.”

 

Noah (untitled)
Surrounded by strangers,
I walk through the people.
So crowded, yet I feel secluded.
Lost, though I know where I am.
I open my mouth, nothing comes out,
A stranger I am in my own body.

 

~ He went to see her as often as he could because he wanted to take responsibility for himself and work through his weakness quickly. Just as it happened with everyone who gave him an opening, Noah came to love and honor his counselor, and, before he knew it, the counseling had morphed. She helped him to release his guilt and anxiety about the brief foray into what he considered the darkness of alcohol; they became good friends, and Noah even spent one weekend caring for her sick husband while she was out of town at a conference. Before he knew it, she helped him to become involved in a program through which he shared his experiences with athletes and incoming freshman so they wouldn’t have to skin their knees on the same bump in the road. His honesty astonished everyone because unless he was on the athletic field or helping build fences, Noah always looked as though he had just stepped out of the shower, squeaky clean and innocent. His fiancée’s mom, Gloria Case, says, “Noah just was open about everything.” He always knew “the truth will set you free.”

 

 

Vince Dooley (Athletic Director, UGA)
...Noah, along with the other cheerleaders, came to the house at the beginning of football season to attend an appreciation dinner that we traditionally held. Noah was with us for three years and he stood out among the group—his leadership qualities were evident in his being named Captain his final year. I also had great admiration for him in his work to help students with alcohol counseling based on his own experiences. I respected Noah greatly as a leader in all he pursued and the ultimate sacrifice that he made for his country will be an inspiration for everyone for generations to come.

 

Noah
I want my life to be a journey, an adventure, a quest to travel to the ends of the Earth, but not alone ...I am a warrior fighting for a higher purpose, a spiritual awakening.

 

Jim Kvicala (Terry College)
At the University of Georgia, Harris was an active member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, as well as a volunteer for Watch Dawgs, a student organization dedicated to preventing alcohol-related accidents and incidents by giving students free rides home after a late night in downtown Athens. He was perhaps most visible as a member of UGA's cheerleading squad from 1999 to 2002, where his athletic gifts and his outgoing personality could both be fully utilized.

 

~ A Modern Day Jonah Lesson
Even when he was careening off course, Noah was still a good guy. Kind of like the biblical Jonah, he wasn't hurting anybody. As the story goes, Jonah didn’t want to do as God asked even though it would help a lot of people he didn’t like, so he dragged his feet and God showed Jonah who was boss arranging for him to be “swallowed up.” It was the same with Noah in college; he knew what was right and suffered every time he didn’t do as he expected of himself. Ironically, Noah received a “Jonah” English assignment: Write a play or a term paper that interprets the allegorical aspect of the story. With his drama background, the choice was a “no-brainer.” He wrote his first and last play ever and had a great time incorporating a lot of humor, such as including his teacher in the story so that when the class read it out loud, she would have to say, “Very good, Noah. You get an A.”

 

Noah (Synopsis of the play, Armageddon of the Mind)
Once upon a time, a small town boy headed to this big university town, certain that he would be a big success. On the way to achieving success, he met many people, some good, some not so good. They taught him wondrous things about life, things that he had never even dreamed. He learned how to open a beer bottle with a lighter and that funnels are not just for oil. They taught him not to eat cafeteria pizza before a band party and that singing country is good. He learned that most people are surprisingly nice. He also learned that he didn’t know everything and neither did anyone else. He learned that you can’t blow it and was shown that life is either a paradise or an Armageddon of the mind. The boy learned to consider the gift in everything that happens and follow his heart. However, the lesson he remembered the best is to always listen to the boss–whoever she may be.

 

~ Noah laughed so hard when he told the part about his professor that he could hardly get the words out. He said that everybody in the class had been laughing and enjoying the play, including his teacher, but when she got to his final line, she had stopped short and cocked a cold, fish-eye at him, and he had struggled to look guilty as the class had dissolved in laughter. He loved it! He loved her, and he was starting to love life again. Sometime during the spring, like Jonah rescued from the belly of the fish, after months of struggle, aided by his own commitment as well as the love of many caring individuals, Noah suddenly popped out of the stormy waters of depression. He came back to his roots with a new wisdom that strengthened his faith and bolstered his leadership.

 

Noah (Spring, 2001, untitled)
One simple way to escape my melancholy-ness,
Close my eyes, relax, and float away from the stress,
Memories of places where I’ve traveled and thrived,
When I think of such landscape I feel more alive.
In the mountains, silver Aspen, trees all around,
’Neath blue sky, perched on rocks jutting up through the ground,
On the edge of painted canyons, my scuffed boots walk,
With my own adventurous spirit, contented, I talk.
Standing on the vast rim, to the bottom I stare,
A chilling wind travels miles just to blow through my hair.
The adrenaline, climbing to the top of red rocks,
Warming from the explosion of energy shocks,
Playing on these power points fills me with love and mirth,
As though for me, God made this moment and this earth.
Under the setting sun, the landscape turns brilliant red,
Light starts to dim and I see the first star overhead.

 

~ ILA and Sig Ep (Noah, the Vitruvian Man)
By the end of his sophomore year, he was tearing out the remaining rogue weeds that had sprouted during his crisis of consciousness; just like the old days, he was shining his light and banishing the shadows. Only this time, when the clouds threatened to darken his heart, he sent them marching across the sky, to the beat of his own steady drum. He seemed bold, courageous, and focused; he had always embraced the balance concept of Leonardo da Vinci’s perfectly proportioned Vitruvian Man, and now it seemed as though he understood he could find his own center again; and he was surrounded by so many great role models. However, we will always believe Noah started to walk toward his true path of life when Earl Leonard told him he should apply for acceptance to the inaugural class of the Terry College leadership program Leonard and his wife had decided to endow. Noah told us, “Mr. Leonard said that it would be just my thing, but I have to get in on my own.” Even though the first three semesters had been a struggle for Noah, just like falling off the bicycle as a kid, he’d made a “soft” landing, dusted himself off, and gotten right back on track. We’ll always remember Noah’s words of admiration, “Destiny is a wonderful man named Earl Leonard.”

 

GA State Rep Louise McBee, President Adams, Earl Leonard

Dr. Melanie Lankau: (Noah’s ILA advisor)
In March of 2001, Noah interviewed for the Institute for Leadership Advancement. This was going to be the first class so there was a lot of pressure to pick the finest. In the interview, Noah exhibited the charisma, the sense of humor, the warmth, the extroversion that we associate with Noah. The interview was going well, but now here came the big question: “Why should you be a Leonard Leadership Scholar?” He didn’t go into his accomplishments, or the impact it would make on his résumé, the chance for a better job. Instead, he shocked us with his response; he talked about his failures and disappointments in college; he talked about why he desperately needed the leadership training to become a more responsible leader; he talked about how he needed and desired to give back to his hometown community, to learn how to make change happen because he so much wanted to help Ellijay for all those young people in his high school. That was very important to him. He talked about learning to make change also in the world, beyond his community. As faculty members, we were shocked. There are not too many twenty-year-olds in this world—even giving me when I was twenty—who say, “I screwed up; I failed; I made a disappointment.” That’s usually not what you do in an interview, but it struck a chord with us. This was someone special and unique. We knew we wanted him in the program.

 

~ So in the fall of that year, he and his classmates entered their two-year odyssey. They were nervous and scared. They probably felt like the guinea pigs of the Terry College. We threw all kinds of things at them, and it wasn’t long before Noah’s role emerged very quickly... that he was not only a UGA cheerleader, but he was a cheerleader to the class of 2003. He inspired, he joked; he threw back flips in class. He made the class fun and his classmates appreciated his calming effect. But through his journal is revealed another side of Noah, the deeply introspective side where he was always questioning and asking the big-ticket questions: Why am I here? What purpose can I serve?

 

In the classroom, in the gym, through a variety of jobs, Noah explored new ideas, searching for ways to break through the status quo and lead. He was grateful that Dr. Lankua supported his “cutting edge” entrepreneurial ideas. When he and a Charlie Barbour ventured into pressure-washing, Melanie gave them a shot. Noah called to tell us he’d had a blast at work that day because Dr. Lankua had let him rappel over the house to clean her roof and gutters. “Well, it’s not going to earn me my first billion, but it was fun!” It was Dr. Lankua who helped Noah to focus his journaling with a purpose; she showed him how to regain his confidence and seek in his heart and mind for answers that had eluded him, to questions like, “How can I make a difference?”

 

Noah Journal
When asked what they want out of life, some people will respond that they “want it all” or they want something “small and secure.” I notice that many folks will not get off the couch to chase down what they want, or when they do get up, they work in a different direction than their dream. Others will work really hard, but settle for much less than their dream. Ultimately, these people are following paths and destinies of some sort, and I think God does have a path for each of us. We must get ourselves in line with that path because we have the ability to influence that path according to God’s will. The universe and God are loving and generous. All that we want, God wants for us. We must be open and receptive so as to avoid missing the opportunities that continuously manifest. Noah, open your heart and mind and God and the universe are there showing you the way to your idea of success.

 

~ With such an enormously expansive spirit, it is no wonder he connected with one of the many great concepts he encountered through ILA, the philosophy of servant leadership. When he learned about it, he instantly embraced Robert Greenleaf’s movement which was aimed at creating a new model for leaders, one that was inclusive.

 

Robert Greenleaf (1977, on leadership)
It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead…The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant - first to make sure that other peoples’ highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: do those served grow as persons, do they grow while being served, become healthier, wider, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?

 

~ To Noah, it sounded just right, like IDWIC, but then Noah loved everything about the leader scholars program and found so many great friends who enjoyed service as much as he did. To him, it was just a natural thing to get together with a group of people and start conquering the problems of the world. He understood volunteerism and he was willing to walk the walk. Through ILA, cheerleading, and his fraternity, Noah helped raise money and awareness in a variety of ways. One of his favorite cheer pictures of himself was taken at The Border Bash, an Augusta, Georgia, event held between South Carolina fans and Georgia fans on the Friday night before the big game. All proceeds support the Medical College of Georgia Children’s Medical Center. In the picture, Noah is using a rally shaker to bring a smile to the face of a child.

 

Debi Polk of Athens, Ga.
Noah worked for me almost 3 years at Bulldog Cheerleading Training Center. He made a tremendous impact on all the kids that he worked with. He expected the kids that he taught to push themselves and to be the best that they could be... he touched and enriched the lives of many children.

~ On the leadership style inventory, no one was surprised he scored high as the Performer, “...one who is informative, expressive, playful, loving, charming, optimistic, energetic...”, but he scored equally as high as the Provider Guardian, “...one who manifests nurturing, is socially concerned, highly cooperative, extremely loyal, sensitive, and confident with others...” He thought the inventory results seemed accurate, but he still wondered how he was going to put it all together in a career. We told him, “Just take care of today.”

 

Noah Journal
The trick is I don’t have to find one thing I want to do for the rest of my life. I want to do many things and that’s okay. I am going to do them all, and I am going to live each moment to its fullness. I’m going to live with passion and energy...Life will guide me to abundance, and all my dreams and wishes will be fulfilled. I’ll make each moment my best. Today, I will play like a champion, be aggressive, give 100% 100% of the time. I am one with my impersonal self and the present moment. I am a champion, confident and courageous. Enthusiastic. The best way to get people to do what needs to be done is to do it first.

 

~ When he found out he was going to coach a soccer team as part of his service through ILA, he was really excited. Sports had always been a big part of his life, and he didn’t think of it as a sacrifice of time, but rather as an opportunity to practice his servant leadership.

 

Soccer Coach Noah (Journal Evaluation)
I really like kids and I have done a lot of coaching before. Sometimes I am a fierce competitor and I am impatient, but I know that doesn’t really work with kids; besides the county stressed, not keeping score. Since the kids were so young, it was just about having a good time. I had to work on that because I like to win. That’s a good time. I am a demanding coach, but these are fragile children, and I had to approach it in a different manner. Neither Bradford nor I had ever coached or even played soccer, so I was a little nervous. Since they were all new at the sport and we didn’t have time to drill and master skills, we decided to teach them a strategy. At this age most kids want to crowd the ball; we taught them to spread out and pass the ball as well as the full court press defense. We emphasized the team above the individual and got the kids to talk to each other. I truly enjoyed everyone I worked with. I loved the kids, and the parents were very supportive. We worked to keep the kids on task and practicing hard, but at the same time, making them feel important and having fun. We had an extremely successful season and the kids had a blast.

 

Dear Mr. Noah (Unsigned entry to an online guest book)
I think that you are a great man for going out to war knowing that you could get killed. You are one very strong man on the outside and the inside! I remember when you used to teach us soccer... Mr. Noah you are my hero!!

 

F. Bradford Swann (Soccer Co-Coach)
Noah had an outgoing, hospitable disposition... He was truly a one of a kind gentleman and leader. He set an example we should all try to emulate.

 

 

Guy Milhalter
I had the fortune of being in the leadership program with Noah. I say fortune because I feel like I am one of the lucky ones who had the opportunity to spend time with this amazing young man. My first real encounter with him... at the UGA ropes course, where the scholars spent the day doing various team building exercises. One of the activities was a challenge for the entire group to manage to get over a large wall. Being the shortest and probably weakest guy in the class, I felt quite insecure, and was afraid to embarrass myself and the entire class by failing to get over the wall. However, as I climbed on another student's shoulders, and stretched up, Noah's strong and assuring hands were waiting for me at the top. In one quick and decisive motion, he pulled me up, and before I knew it, I was on the other side of the wall... He greeted me with a congratulatory 'high five' and a warm smile. Although it was entirely his effort and sheer strength, he somehow made me feel as if it was me who accomplished something. I don't think I remembered his name at this point...However, in my mind, I always remembered him as “the strong one.” Weeks later, we bumped into each other at the dining hall. He asked me if I would like to join him for lunch, and we spent almost two hours chatting and getting to know each other... I close my eyes, and once again, I am pulled up over the wall, and here he is - strong and beautiful as ever—empowering me through his grasp and smile.

Noah (ILA Notes)
Make sure everyone knows what he or she needs to be doing and how the job is part of the big picture and that how what he or she is doing is important to achieving the goal. I must CHOOSE to be the leader, the most focused part of the organization. I will “shine” on others and light their fires, choose to smile, be humble, and create an environment that people want to be part of. Positive, productive, consistent, respectful, and fun. With faith and hope for the future, GROW! Peace out Baby!

 

~ Mom—Student Toast:
Noah was surprised and honored that he was selected by his classmates to deliver the student toast at the very first ILA Commemoration Banquet on May 2, 2003. I remember Rick and I followed his little white compact car to the banquet hall; we got there early so he could work on his remarks. Rick and I strolled around through the warm Athens twilight as Noah sat on a bench scribbling and smiling and staring off into space. After a few minutes, he walked toward us and said, “I’m ready, but I’ll find a quiet corner inside so that I can focus more.” He never seemed to mind he was always so busy; rather he enjoyed the moment and included everyone. When we went into the dressy affair, of course, there was no quiet corner for Noah. But he didn’t seem to mind as he went about the business of bear-hugging and as he put it, “Marshalling the troops for the ‘after the event’ party...” When he raised his glass and delivered the toast, everyone rose as one and did the same, and his “Poor Mommy” can’t remember a word of what he said because she was overwhelmed, just as she had been when he joined Sig Ep Fraternity's Balanced Man program.

 

Noah (Ratty Sig Ep Wallet Card – Renaissance Man)
The true gentlemen is the man whose conduct proceeds from good will and an acute sense of propriety and whose self-control is equal to all emergencies; who does not make the poor man conscious of his poverty, the obscure man of his obscurity, or any man of his inferiority or deformity; who is himself humbled if necessity compels him to humble another; who does not flatter wealth, cringe before power, or boast of his own possessions or achievements; who speaks with frankness, but always with sincerity and sympathy; whose deed follows his word; who thinks of the rights and feelings of others rather than his own; and who appears well in any company, a man with whom honor is sacred and virtue safe.

Aaron Lee Harris (“Everybody thinks of changing humanity and nobody thinks of changing himself.” Leo Tolstoy)
I was a fraternity brother and friend of Noah's.  I actually recruited him into the fraternity when I was on the recruitment board...He was a great man. Full of life. Kind. Loving. He was a leader. A man's man. People who knew Noah respected him. He was magnetic... I know that God has him now and that Noah died serving a high power and following his ideals. 

Carey A. Vaughan
I remember when he first joined the fraternity; he was always one of the first to arrive and the last to leave when work needed to get done. Leading by example is often hard to find and he exemplified that to its truest form.   

 

Noah (“To the College Freshman”)
Pushed to the edge by pains of the past,
Wishing them gone, they just seem to last,
Looking up at the stars, you start to stare,
Thinking of people who just don’t care.
You wish you could understand the emptiness inside,
Sometimes the only option is to run away and hide.
Your strength and your courage keep going on,
Even though happiness seems to be all gone.
I know at times you want to lie down and cry,
But follow your conviction and you are sure to fly.
The love you seek is very hard to uncover,
It will be at the tops of mountains you discover,
And when you collide with love and Love collides with you,
All those hurtful memories? Forget them is what you’ll do.

 

~ Dad (Post 9/11/01: The American Bulldog)
By the time Noah was a junior at UGA, he really hit his stride. Fresh out of the doldrums of despair, he was excited about life. The issues of the past had strengthened his self-identity, and he had been chosen to be the captain of the varsity cheerleading squad. Having been accepted into the Terry College School of Real Estate, he was determined to manifest a high level of leadership no matter where he was. He was through with the whining, determined to avoid getting swallowed up ever again.

 

Noah (Fall, 2001, good advice)
The Bottom Line, My Destiny is my choice
1. Belief is a choice. Non-belief is a choice. Skepticism is a choice.
2. Find out what you choose to believe; become a seeker.
3. When you choose, live your vision. Your life is a parable to others.
4. Give: Don’t focus on fixing others. Make yourself better and focus on God.

 

He had spent the summer working for the athletic director, Damon Evans, getting a hands-on experience of the tedious but important task of managing ticketing; he was even excited about that. "JT" Thompson, the office manager of the UGA ticket office said, "When Noah worked for me, he always had a smile on his face." To him, everything was fresh. The Bulldogs had a new coach, Mark Richt, who came with a reputation of integrity and a promise to be the key to a winning future. As Noah said, “Everybody’s pumped! It’s awesome!”

 

 

Then, on a glorious, Indian Summer, September morning, as the world turned on its axis, the icons of American vision, ingenuity, and determination were blind-sided by the serial killers of terrorism, and crumbled to dust before our eyes. Life as we had all known it for as long as we could remember was forever altered and, though the winds of peace might continue to blow across this beautiful land, we must always remember and never forget. We were all in shock, to be sure, and had no idea what would happen in any area of life; the planes in our air space had been grounded, and college football was cancelled. Uncle Po Po’s daughter, Sophie, watched from her schoolroom as the towers fell and life shattered before her eyes. His other daughter Nancy walked six miles to get home from high school, alone in the chaotic sea of humanity that New York City had become. We all cried when “The Star Spangled Banner” was played by our friends all over the world and we cheered when President Bush told the assemblage in the smoking rubble of Ground Zero, "I hear you!"

 

Noah’s Journal entry #8 (University of Georgia/ Terry School of Business/ Leonard Leader Scholars Journal–post 9-11)
I am still in shock about this week's tragic event, but it warms my heart to see everyone jumping in to help and the amount of patriotism that shines through the turmoil. I wish there was more I could do to help. I count myself lucky to be where I am. Very little has directly changed in my life because I am far from New York and Washington. The things that have changed in my life are more internal. I have a strong feeling of patriotism that I hope never goes away. I have started to really look at my life and what I am doing with it. Although I will probably never quit worrying about my future and career path, I am going to put a much heavier emphasis on the present. I will constantly ask myself if I am living each day and moment as if they were my last. All those people who passed on September 11th started the day thinking that it was just another Tuesday, no different from any other. They answered phones, rode elevators, shouted greetings to friends. They lived, and now they don't. I realize that the end of life is so final, and it could come quickly to anyone, me included. I don't know what the future holds, but I will make the most of the time I do know about, the present. I must do this for me, but also to honor them and all the fallen heroes of my past. They have not died in vain. I will remember. I must. My heart and prayers go out to all the people who were affected by this terrible event.

 

 

Put our backs against the wall and Americans will fight back. Although we were still in shock, everyone made a real effort to have things get back to some normal function. We could not let this cowardly attack destroy the beauty of our freedom and our traditions. Hell NO! It was that spirit Georgia Bulldog fans proudly took to the first game after 9/11. Everyone was in a quiet, fierce mood, very reflective. As people came into the stadium, the ticket takers handed each fan an 8 x 10 cardboard American Flag, with the words of patriotic songs on the back. There was no question: We were all to hold them up at a certain point. We all needed to have a ceremony about 9/11 and we knew there could be no moment of silence that lasted long enough to honor the American citizens and those from other countries who were victims of the dastardly attack. We were also proud we would be getting the chance to honor our military which was gearing up for the fight of a lifetime. Noah was right in the middle of the preparation and delivery of the most patriotic event this country has ever shared.

 

The American Bulldog

It was a very somber and beautiful memorial ceremony to the fallen that included a flyover. The beautiful day was a sharp contrast to the sorrowful mood; most of us were quietly crying as we sang “God Bless America.” Everyone wanted to do something to turn this dark tide into a positive. The song concluded and people were gripping their flags and holding them high; no one knew what was going to happen next. We were all dabbing our tears and waiting in anticipation to see what was coming. Suddenly, blasting out of the varsity tunnel with a gigantic American Flag streaming above him was Noah. With the band playing, and the crowd roaring, he came sprinting down the field 100 yards and crossed the end zone and ran down the other side of the field. It was literally a hair-raising, goose-bump event. It was so beautiful; the crowd went crazy, laughing, crying, shouting, “USA, USA, USA!” and Terry Stephens of Big Dog Photography snapped a shot of Noah from behind that has been copyrighted and named “An American Bulldog.” It is no wonder that, in that moment, Noah was born again, and he was, is, and always will be Simply American. We all were, but he was the one carrying the flag, staking his claim on his country, America. I could feel him thinking, with his actions broadcasting passionately a rapidly refining focused leadership, "America, I've got your back!" In that moment, Noah claimed his destiny and knew he would lead from the front. He didn’t know exactly what he was going to do, but he knew he was going to do something.

Associated Press (June 23, 2005)
Rick Harris said his son joined the Army after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, telling his father that people “must serve some higher purpose than yourself in life.”

 

Noah (“Zen Baby”)
So brief this breath of life,
Once exhaled it is no more,
So each should be deep and substantial,
Yet for many, it is short and silent;
Unfortunate others may sneeze or cough...
Matter, of what the universe is made,
and most people desire the life full of matter.
For me, I want my life to matter, so
Once the breath leaves the lungs of life,
I will be able to look back
And see that my life mattered,
That this breath wasn’t wasted.
Were my breath to end abruptly this day?
Would I have mattered or would I be trapped
By thoughts of what matter the future holds for me?
A promising future? Worth less than the paper it’s printed on!
However, a promising present holds much power;
The wise do not bank on a promising success,
For that future may not appear...
Death lies just around the bend, unpredictable
Time stopping, the finest virtue; and so
I will dance and sing at the top of my lungs,
Laughing and basking in the sun.
Like a solitary tree,
I will stand in the promising moment...

 

 

 

 * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

 

Chapter 8 - Simply a Servant
Post 9-11, ROTC, Ft. Lewis, Ashley

 

Noah (Fall 2001, “Clear”)
Challenge the spirit to a test,
Find light amidst the darkness,
Seek refuge in the storm,
Dare to be different;
BE Here Now (BHN)!
With discipline and focus,
I open the floodgates of my mind,
Hoist my conscience as a lightning rod,
Drawing in and accepting all ideas.
My education begins now.

 

Arnett Mace (UGA Provost)
Noah continues to have a profound impact on everyone he touched. He is a shining example to members of the university community… I take time each day to reflect on his impact while he was here. I think of his courage, his leadership and devotion to his country. I think of him each time I watch television, each time I read the news, and each time I hear someone say, “I am entitled.” And yes, I think of him in Sanford Stadium.

 

~ After 9/11/01, all of our lives, slowly got back on track, but with the increased work load as captain of the cheerleaders, as a leader scholar, and cheerleading instructor and sometime assistant fence builder, during the fall of 2001, Noah was engaged in meeting the demands of a tightly packed schedule. However, instead of feeling overwhelmed, no matter the weather or conditions, Noah was sailing smoothly across the multi-faceted waters of UGA life. We didn’t see him a whole lot, but when we did, he was strong and self-assured. Talk about focus! The terrorists had not put out his eyes, but rather opened them. We’d all read and discussed Osama bin Laden’s statement, "In today's wars, there are no morals. We believe the worst thieves in the world today and the worst terrorists are the Americans. We do not have to differentiate between military or civilian. As far as we are concerned, they are all targets." That did it for Noah; our boy had spent enough time careening off in the wrong directions, wandering in the desert, and now that his world had changed so profoundly, he was determined to plot his course carefully to do his part to promote all that is great about America. Every mistake he had made became a tool he used to refine his perspective. The trials of his past quickly became shiny lessons that he used to hone his leadership skills. He was visibly stronger and more confident in his emerging value system, looking sharp; however, along with New York City and the rest of the country, the ashes were still smoldering.

 

Journal # 10
I am still thinking about September 11th. I cannot seem to get it off my mind. I have so many questions running through my head. Are we going to war? If so, how long will it last? Will the draft be reinstated? Is this war going to be fought in foreign lands or will it be fought here? I am a little frightened because I am 20 years old and will graduate before too long. I have only lived through one war. The Gulf War doesn’t really seem to count because it affected very few Americans’ lives. Now, we already have 5,000 dead or missing (original estimates). It scares me that this war could be fought on our own ground. I feel compelled to serve my country at some point in my life. I have no idea right now in what way, but in whatever way occurs, I know I will be proud to aid in the defense of our safety and freedom. God Bless America!

 

~ Opening wide the windows of his soul, Noah put his palms together, turned his powerful search beams inward and outward, a watchful, vigilant, servant-leader, he sought the narrow door to his destiny. He understood that each step took him closer to his goal, and he knew there would be greater responsibility; yet, he carefully began to march forward, looking for the furrow in which to plant his considerable influence. He came home one weekend without his laundry and shared his ideas with his mom and dad. Framing his words carefully, he used his favorite quote of the time, “If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. Mom and Dad, I’m thinking about ROTC.”

 

Brian Nealey (GHS wrestler)
I remember when I was starting wrestling “cold turkey.” If I ever had a question about a wrestling move, Noah would take the time to explain and work on it. About the war in Iraq, I think it was Noah’s instinct, just as in wrestling, to counteract your opponent when acted upon. 9/11 struck a nerve with Noah, and Noah had to do something about it.

 

~ That weekend, Rick thought he had talked Noah away from ROTC with, “Son, you are going to contribute with your mind!” Lucy warned, “You’re too far along in your studies. They’ll never let you in. You’ll be up against people who have been in ROTC since high school.” Yet, we all wondered about all of our children because 9/11 had struck a nerve with all Americans. None of us could sleep well any more, as we all struggled with the sounds and images etched in our minds and hearts of firefighters, policeman, and EMT’s rushing into the cataclysm of the world’s greatest man-made disaster, covered with soot, exhausted from the heat and the sheer magnitude of the suffering. Juxtaposed with the horror were the snapshots of respect and honor from the make shift memorials and tributes that sprang up all around the world. Many Georgia Bulldogs kept seeing a giant American flag flying high as it streamed into Sanford Stadium, Old Glory held aloft in Noah’s strong arms.

 

Hit by the same lightning, Americans came together as one, remembering the privilege it is to have been born in a country where freedom of thought is a right. All of us knew we were floating on the first wave of a paradigm shift. Our lives had forever changed, but none of us understood how deeply because the dust had not settled and we couldn’t see what was coming. In high school and with his college friends, Noah had been the defender, the beast who could break up fights, always protecting the weak; he wasn’t used to the role of witness. He had been fed democracy and brotherhood all his life and he’d grown to be an American Champion, proud to carry the banner of America; like many who had come before him, he was determined to head right to the center of the action.

 

Thomas Paine: December 1776 (from: The Crisis)
THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives everything its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated.

 

~ Although we didn’t fully comprehend how profoundly heritage had resonated with him, like all Americans who trace their roots, Noah always understood that he comes from a long line of citizen-warriors who answered when Mother Liberty called and were proud to become the guardians of security, the kind of men who would not have let bin Laden get away with calling American troops “Paper Tigers.” Noah had often talked about weapons with his ex-marine Dad and brother-in-law Bill who served in the 7th I.D., and he’d heard about Lucy’s Clemson University college professor/grandfather, Pop Glenn, who died prematurely because he lost a lung during WWI, and of course, he’d talked to Clemson Tiger, Pop Pop about what it was like to cross the Atlantic with 20,000 soldiers on the Queen Mary and “live” in a foxhole in Alsace Lorraine, France during WWII.

 

After the war, Pop Pop was actually stationed at Dacau, the notorious Nazi death camp to help provide security for the war crimes trials. Although he never met him, Noah had been curious about Rick’s dad. Because Arthur Harris had polio as a child, he couldn’t qualify for the infantry, but after Pearl Harbor, Grandfather Arthur stood up for America and took a desk job to provide support in the Army. Of course, Noah knew about Lucy’s, Uncle Johnny who lost his life after first being torpedoed in the channel crossing and then killed by a mortar at Port St. Nazarre, France in the months following D-Day when he volunteered for a special mission. As a little boy, Noah relished each retelling of one of his Dad’s missions in Viet Nam during which Rick had been miraculously shielded from the encircling spray of a machine gun in an ambush south of Da Nang. His Uncle Stu, the family genealogist, could spin tales about Pop Pop's great-great-great grandfather, Andrew Ellsworth Glenn who migrated from County Glenaron, Northern Ireland in 1776, just in time to become a colonial fighter in the Revolutionary War. Noah saw the brass plate dedicated to one of Rick's relatives, George Washington Green who served in the Gwinnett Artillery, 9th GA Bn. during the Civil War, and Rick's dear friend Doug Langston often wore his Ranger fatigues as he rocked Noah to sleep. We should have understood, yet, none of us got it; Noah had been imprinted with the super-intelligent courage of the millions who consciously chose to override the impulse of self-preservation and stand by country and community. Osama bin Laden’s words were echoing ominously from every television, but we just saw our beautiful son, glowing with paternal love for America. All the history lessons came alive, and to Noah it was a time no different than the ones faced by George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Noah saw the smoking evidence that we had become engaged by war, and like Lincoln, he knew that it would test the endurance of our unity.

 

Uncle Po Po (Times Courier, 1/10/02)
It was a deed so terrible, that no true American will ever forget it.

 

~ Yet, all around him, Noah saw flags and “United We Stand” bumper stickers. Americans of good will were scrambling to demonstrate solidarity with the values that built this nation. In Ellijay, a spontaneous celebration of patriotism was brewing, a huge community-wide project with Mom, Dad, Uncle Popo and his GHS family right in the middle of it.

 

Al Summers (Times Courier, “Gilmer, New York Unity Day Big Success”, 1/17/02)
What started out as a show of concern by some Gilmer High School students for some students in New York City... blossomed into Gilmer County – New York City Unity Day, held in Ellijay on Friday, Jan. 11... Jim Glenn (Uncle Po Po), PTA vice-president for P.S. 140, and his daughter Sophie, a student at the school, along with New York City fire fighters Tom Ryan and Frank Sweeney, were in town to dedicate a flag to GHS. The flag is now part of American history, having been the one flying in front of Ryan’s and Sweeney’s fire station on September 11, 2001. The station, home to Engine 3, Ladder 12, Battalion 7, lost five firefighters on September 11... the exchange between the schools snowballed into the “flag’s proud journey” (from the fire station, to PS 140, to its final resting place enshrined in the GHS commons area) when a former school counselor turned New York City firefighter arranged obtaining the flag from Battalion 7... soon (Uncle Po Po, Cousin Sophie, Frank, and Tom) were winging their way to Georgia. Sweeny said, “The image I remember the most about that day is watching people jump to their deaths. I even saw two people holding hands. That’s tough to remember.” Both Sweeney and Ryan said, “This is a small town with a very big heart.” (At the flag retirement ceremony) Gilmer County Fire Chief, Gary Watkins led a solemn procession, flanked by the New York firemen.

 

In Memoriam to the Fallen Fire Fighters of Battalion 7 (GHS Commons Area)
Battalion Chief, Orio Palmer; Chief’s Aid, Steven Belson; Lt. Phillip Petti; Firefighter, Michael Mullan; Firefighter, Angel Juarbe

 

Jennifer Evans Parris (Ellijay, GA)
...In everything that we do in Ellijay I feel that Noah is near. My most favorite memory of Noah is when the Firefighters from 9/11 came to town and we had the beautiful service for them on the town square. Noah was there with his beautiful smile and he and I talked for awhile and as long as I live, I will always cherish that time we spent together. Noah you will never know what you mean to me-you are my HERO.  

 

Ledger-Enquirer.com – June 26, 2005.
“He knew that for humanity to prosper, people need to be provided the kind of freedom... he’s been given all his life,” said his mother, Lucy Harris.

 

~ Mom – Emerging Servant
We all kept praying for all the brave young men and women who found themselves as part of the offensive that finally began on October 7, 2001. Surely it was going to be the fight of their lives. It was a tense time for everyone, and Noah redoubled his fearless personal inventory. He was determined to live up to his highest potential and become the kind of citizen-leader that the founders of our nation had envisioned. I remember batting ideas back and forth with Noah as he struggled to figure out what he was going to do with his life. When he found out that he would be interning in Washington during the summer of 2002, we had an inquiring discussion about his style of leadership. I remember his explanation of servant-leadership. “I will be a bottom feeder; face to face, listening and believing in everyone.” I remember asking him what that meant to him, and he said, “It means I will never ask anyone to do something that I am unwilling to do myself. I’m going to work with my people.”

 

The conversation meandered back through his list of career prospects, and when he wondered if he might be missing his golden opportunity with ROTC, I playfully said, “I thought you and Mark Needle (UGA Hairy Dog Mascot and good buddy) were going to California to become actors. Besides, the word is that as the mother of an only son, I could make it pretty tough for you to get in.” He laughed and winked at me, "You wouldn’t do that now would ya Momma? Try to steal my dream?” I knew he was still fuming about 9/11 and the airwaves were crowded with cruel stories about al Qaeda and the Taliban. We were shocked when we learned that women were forced to cover themselves from head to toe with burkas, and that inhabitants of Afghanistan were sometimes subjected to witnessing the horror of the soccer stadium/execution arena. Publicly, women could be stoned to death for the capital offense of adultery, but also for singing, painting portraits, going outside, or asking for work. It was awful, but I thought Noah had abandoned the military idea because he had already started lining up his after college job with Gene Anderson at High Woods Properties. He thought it would be the perfect place to build his business acumen and his finances and start heading in the direction of politics. He loved his major, real estate, and earned high marks in most of the classes. It was no surprise Noah could see himself developing the mountains in the right way; he felt everyone could have a beautiful view while preserving and enhancing Mother Nature. Still, I was proud that he had considered the idea of swearing an oath to protect and defend his community. During sleepless nights I wondered, “How could I let him do that?” and the voice of my conscience was always the same, “How could I not do my part to empower him to stand up for this country, this community, and the friends he loved so well?”

 

Just a week after Christmas break, he came home to talk, “Mom, Dad, sit down. I have something to tell you.” He’d made his decision, and he wasn’t asking for advice. His career had become his country, and if they would have him, he was determined to learn everything he could about being an officer from the Bulldog ROTC program. His ashes had cooled into hard resolve, and like the phoenix, Noah was rising to defend the Constitution of the United States of America against any and all forces that threaten to destroy the grand principle of democracy. The invisible hand beckoned and pointed him in a new direction.

 

President George Bush - State of the Union 2008
As Franklin Roosevelt once reminded Americans, "Each age is a dream that is dying or one that is coming to birth." And we live in the country where the biggest dreams are born. The abolition of slavery was only a dream -- until it was fulfilled. The liberation of Europe from fascism was only a dream -- until it was achieved. The fall of imperial communism was only a dream -- until, one day, it was accomplished. Our generation has dreams of its own, and we also go forward with confidence. The road of Providence is uneven and unpredictable -- yet we know where it leads: It leads to freedom.

 

~ After we adjusted to his firm determination to go Army, Rick and I were 110% behind him. We listened with amazement and pride as he told the story of how he walked across the UGA campus and asked how he would go about getting into ROTC. Good thing Rick had raised him to be persistent because they told him his chances were very slim. Perhaps spurred by leadership studies, or the desire to protect the innocence of his soccer team, or the caricature images of shouting crowds burning American flags, Saddam Hussein firing a gun off of an ornate balcony, Noah just kept coming back and knocking on the narrow door. With no experience, all he had on his side were volition and commitment. I asked him, “What did you say,” he laughed and flexed his broad shoulders, “I told them, you know you want a piece of this.” Colonel Diehl finally gave him an interview, and as he tells the story, they were trying to let him down gently because he was just too close to graduation to get in. That’s when he took his shot, “Aw, come on! You know you can squeeze me in. What’s it gonna take?” “Well, you’d have had to have accomplished something really big.” “Uh, like what?” “Well, maybe like the scholar athlete or intern in Washington.” Noah said that’s when he breathed a big, “Phew,” started laughing and said, “I just completed arrangements to intern with the Honorable Nathan Deal this summer, and if you’ll give me an application, I’ll write on it that I was the 1999 Scholar Athlete of the State of Georgia. Will that do?”

 

Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss (June23, 2005, United States Congress)
Noah persisted until he was allowed to join the ROTC. You see, Noah believed passionately that there are no exemptions from the cost of freedom. A personal longing to promote liberty and help the Iraqi people who had long suffered under Saddam Hussein were a constant theme in Noah’s letters home to his family and friends, but ever humble, Noah shrugged off the gravity of his commitment adopting the simple mantra, “I do what I can” in response to being called a hero. Noah’s vision and passion to achieve a greater good for the people of Iraq is an excellent model for those who come after him to continue the fight against freedom’s foes.

 

~ Although he would not officially start ROTC until the fall of 2002, from a carefully measured distance, his friends started to call him “Captain Sunshine.” To them, Noah was the kind of person who was always trying to get people together, to sit down and “work things out.” He was the guy who wanted to carry people to the proven channels that lead to higher ground and safety. As Grandma Geri would have said, his decision to go Army “threw them for a loop.” Some of them actually told him they thought he had lost his mind. They just couldn’t see their good buddy in the military, but Noah believed he was joining the effort to build a bridge over troubled waters, one that led to a more positive future for everyone. He believed so strongly in what he was doing, he was willing to overcome the fear in his own heart and possibly sacrifice his potential for ours. He started up the arm chair discussions again, because he knew the Big Dawg, Rick would be able to troubleshoot this new environment. Noah had always heard, “You don’t know what you don’t know.” He was eager to learn, he was eager to serve, and he soon found out that he was not alone in his decision. There were others who answered the call.

 

 

Mark Henderson (Father of Lt. Ashley Henderson Hough, newspaper?)
Mark Henderson said his daughter chose military service after watching the 9/11 terrorist attacks on television at the Sigma Kappa sorority house (UGA), where she was a member. "She was very proud of her service, but you never would have thought she was in the military," Mark Henderson said. "Her sorority had all these Southern belles, and then she'd walk in (in camouflage) and face paint."

 

~ D.C. Baby! (Summer 2002)
The country had recovered from the initial shock of attack and America’s rapid response. We had settled down to a steady simmer of righteous determination. Hamid Karzai had been chosen by Afghanistan’s Loya Jirga (leaders meeting) to lead his country into self-governance, and both the Taliban and bin Laden were on the run. For Noah, it was the culminating point of a momentous year for him and his country. He was standing at the threshold of a future of service to America, strongly committed to the military. To be headed for an internship in Washington, D.C. seemed miraculously appropriate. It was the first time he drove all by himself to a new apartment and unpacked all by himself 800 miles away. He was so excited when he called to say that he had gotten in; he was two blocks from the Capitol. When he went for his daily run, he ran through the monuments we see on news shots of Washington, and he regularly sat in the front row, listening to people he considered to be the heroes of America as they plotted America’s course of action. It was total political emersion at an epic point in U.S. history, and Noah was enthralled to be participating; he watched C-SPAN as he plied his verbal skills all day, writing letters and answering phone calls from Georgia constituents. He had great admiration for Representative Deal’s work ethic, “He is all about doing the peoples’ business. 24/7, he’s at it and he never seeks attention or praise. It’s awesome.”

 

Noah (“On the National Mall”)
No I. Remember always I am actively living God’s plan for me. Everything is happening just exactly as God intends. Balance is the key. I try too hard often times which throws me off balance. Be the best I can be in each moment, accountable and balanced. Free! Lying on the ground nothing on my mind...Tell you this day is one of a kind....

 

U.S. Congressman Nathan Deal (Congressional Record, June 29, 2005)
...I first met Noah several years ago when he served as an intern in my Washington office. I had been told that he was someone special, and after meeting him, I certainly knew that to be true... To be a friend to people from all walks of life, to excel in everything he undertook, to dare to dream big dreams takes someone special... His courage, his self-discipline, and his compassion should be a standard for us all...

 

~ A happy side effect of the internship was that he spent time renewing his family ties. Due to the tight schedule challenges of his high school and collegiate years, Noah hadn’t seen many of his northern relatives since he was a kid. In addition to visiting with Uncle Po Po and Aunt Kathy in NYC, he traveled to Delaware to hang out with Aunt Betsy and Uncle Stu in Newark. His cousin Katy remembers that they stayed up talking all night long, just like old friends. From what we’ve been told, every other spare minute, he spent with his other Aunt Kathy, Uncle Bucky, and Brian out at “the farm” in Oakton, VA.

 

 

Cousin Brian (Washington, D.C., best friends during Noah’s internship with the Honorable Nathan Deal, Summer 2002)
I got close with Noah in 1996 when my grandmother fell ill. I went to Georgia a few times to see her and while there spent a lot of time with Noah. We slept in the family room and would stay up all night giggling and laughing and talking about nonsense. I was 21 and he was 16. I didn’t have a younger sibling growing up and I imagined that this is what it felt like. It was great… and Noah was a great younger brother to have.

Over the next few years our contact diminished so I was a little unsure when I found out he was coming to live in DC for the summer. Last time I saw him he was a goofy, skinny teenager with an afro top and grunge clothing... I planned to meet him and my parents out for dinner in Georgetown. I called my mom to confirm plans and I asked how Noah was. Her only response was, “Just wait until you see him.” Well, I was floored. I walked into the restaurant and was confused as to why this massive, military looking gentleman was sitting with my parents. It was only when he lifted his hazel eyes that I realized, my little brother had become a tough looking man! He was very intimidating and I wasn’t sure if we would have the same type of relationship. Well, throughout dinner it became apparent that he was the same kind hearted compassionate soul, with the goofy sense of humor I had loved so much.

As we sat there, another thing became apparent as well. This kid could eat! He finished his meal, part of mine, part of my mother’s and ordered some more. Noah spent many, many nights at my apartment with me and I always had to be sure I had food. Usually it was never enough, but luckily I lived next to a convenience store, so we were there quite often to feed this beast!! One morning we woke up to go to brunch and on the way there he had to stop and get a Slim Fast shake because he was so hungry he couldn’t wait. Mind you he had half a large pizza around 2am after we went to a huge Mexican dinner.

That first night we had dinner, we planned for him to stay with me and I would show him a bit of downtown. He was a couple weeks shy of his 21st birthday but... All of my friends immediately loved him and he was so fun to have around. He was so innocent and green, and coming from the mountains of Georgia; he was amazed by the city life, but fit quite well into it. One thing I loved about Noah was that whenever I took him anywhere, he didn’t need any hand holding. He was always pleasant, accepting, and upbeat to any and all of my friends who came from various backgrounds and upbringings.

Noah and I both had a love for New York City... so one weekend we flew up there together. He didn’t have a walkman so I offered to share an earpiece with him. There we were, 30,000 feet above the ground, still giggling and laughing like kids, each with a small headphone in one ear. At first we had the flight attendant in stitches, but soon she realized we were far too much to handle and she quickly left us alone... Noah spent most of his time with me and my friends… It was wonderful.

Allen Fox of Gainesville, GA
Noah was someone that you are blessed to come across once in a lifetime. While I only spent a summer with him in Washington interning for Congressman Nathan Deal, he made a lasting impact on my life...such an energetic personality...welcoming to everyone he came across....wise beyond his years...I can remember his words about serving something greater than yourself.

 

~ Rick and I didn’t hear from him much because he was so busy, and he was stretching his wings out in the big, wide world, bouncing his ideas off of everyone who would listen. He had opened new doors and avenues of possibility of what life has to offer someone who is young and willing to work hard. I thought the city high life might have made him regret his decision about military service; maybe his experiences might have turned him back toward “suit and tie” leadership rather than his “bottom feeding.” However, he came back even more determined than ever to fulfill his leadership through ILA, through his fraternity, and through ROTC.

 

Noah (From his 2page daily affirmation, Fall Semester 2002)
...I accept that there will always be an ideal to guide me, yet it will not make me anxious or impatient because I know that I am perfect in this present moment. Through empowerment and humility, I am one with my path and my higher Self. I let go of all ego agendas that attempt to control my destiny. I fly the path of life effortlessly and confidently to my true destination. I have perfect, unconditional faith in God. I will make the world a better place. I am full of energy, vitality, happiness, and have a positive attitude from the moment I wake up until I fall asleep.

 

~ As the UGA cheer department only offered three years of eligibility, Noah was no longer a cheerleader. Before 9/11, he had planned to focus on ILA, to graduate on time, to sleep until 7am, and to go to games and sit in the student section as a civilian for the sheer fun of it. Noah went to the games, but his new schedule was even more packed than ever and he conceded that he would have to add an extra semester to squeeze in the requirements of his new mission. Of course, we continued the 5am wake up calls, but there was a noticeable change. When I dialed his number, he answered on the first ring and was usually already up and cooking; our conversations were filled with winsome good cheer. He’d answer the phone on the first ring, “Wazzup Mama?”

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray!”

“Hang on, I’m making my green tea. I’m gonna catch a few quiet moments of meditation before P.T.”

“I’m so proud of you.”

“I do what I can. Hey, do you know what I did with my black suit? I’m setting up some extra visits to Highwoods.”

“I’ll check with your dad.”

“YMETM, Baby.”

 

Then, he’d head off to training, class, jobs, real estate internships, and volunteer work. If he had any spare time left over, he’d go work out at a full contact gym which was all right as long as he covered his poor nose. His heart was leading him, brimming with passion and full of purpose, and he loved every minute of ROTC because each moment spent made him feel more prepared. He’d call and report, “I’m learning how to march, and I volunteered to serve on the honor guard, so I’ll get a lot of practice. It’s pretty cool. Find that nice suit yet?”

 

Frank Farrell (Highwoods Properties)
We spent an afternoon driving properties when Noah interned at Highwoods (with mentor, Gene Anderson). That evening I told my wife about Noah and what an impressive young man he was. Being the son of a career soldier, I was very interested in Noah’s decision to serve his country in her hour of need.

 

 

Kym (Rick's daughter, Noah’s older half-sister)
I remember the night like it was yesterday. Noah called mid-week and mentioned that he would be spending a day shadowing/interning at a company in Atlanta on Monday and wondered if he could spend the night on Sunday. He came down early on Sunday and hung out with the family. We ate dinner and he played with the girls, Connect 4 with Alyssa and some wrestling/tickling with Hailey. Since it was a school night, the girls went to bed and Noah and I stayed up talking. We ended up in a pile of stuffed animals on Hailey’s twin bed with our heads at opposite ends, continuing to talk for hours. Life, our purpose, relationships, family, work, and more... I remember when it got really late we decided it was a good idea to get some sleep, especially since he wanted to make a good impression the next day. He told me that he was so glad that we were part of each other's lives and that he was sorry we hadn’t grown up together. We hugged and I remember telling him that even though we didn't have the bond of growing up in the same house, “You will always be my little brother. We have the rest of our lives together.” I went to bed that night thinking that I was so lucky to have Noah as my brother. The next morning he was up early and I had to help him with his tie. Something happened to one of his contacts, and he ended up having to wear his glasses and he wasn't thrilled about it. But, he looked great, was confident. I sent him on his way with a bagel and some juice.

James Linck (Real Estate, "Recalling the Life of Lt. Noah Harris" by Mary Kay Mitchell, NPR archives)
Noah always had a smile on his face.  He was an optimist, always on to the next thing.

 

~For having come from sweats, jeans, and khaki beginnings, Noah was suddenly always polished when out in public; and with ROTC, he had to maintain so much gear. He slowly began to trade his t-shirts for his new look. One weekend, he came home so that his dad could help him get organized for his first field exercise. That’s when it really hit me that he was actually going into the army. His transition from civilian to warrior happened so quickly that I always had in the back of mind that it was just a dream, and I might wake up kind of like I hoped about 9/11.

 

Sean Kirk
In the spring of 2003, I was a graduate student in the MBA program at Terry. I soon discovered that my sometimes weight lifting partner at the Ramsey center was also one of my students (as I was a graduate assistant). Noah struck me as a young man of great integrity. He stood out amongst his peers. When Noah informed me that he was in the military and approaching graduation, I was touched by his determination and desire to serve. I gave him my contact information and promised him a job when he got out of the Army.

 

 

~ When he showed me what he looked like turned out in all his gear, I felt my heart beat with joy because, his new suit of clothes fit him just right. I knew I had lost my son to his destiny the next weekend when he went on maneuvers. It was 40 degrees and rainy and they were up in the mountains not too far from home. I worried with every rain drop the wind drove against my roof because I knew that he was out there in it. When he got back, I was giggling to myself when I asked, “Well, what do you think of the Army now?” He answered, “It’s awesome Mom. I had so much fun.”

“How did you sleep in that weather?”

“We really didn’t have time for that.”

“Oh. Well, how did you keep warm and dry?”

“It was so cool. I found a tree pretty nearly perpendicular to the ground, and I leaned up against it and stuck my head down inside my poncho. Kind of made a tent. It was great. I loved it.”

 

Todd South (Red and Black, June 23, 2005)
In the classroom, athletics, ROTC, and his fraternity he set an example for others to follow. “I’ve never seen anyone able to bring people together so well,” said Matt Redman a friend and former ROTC cadet with Noah. “He could turn individuals into a team and a team into a group of friends.”

 

~ From then on, I started thinking of his military experience as Noah’s magical, leadership destiny tour. He'd found an outlet for his energetic philanthropic spirit, and he was always surrounded by an entourage of jaunty, jubilant friends. He would send home pictures of him and his new ROTC buddies shaving each other’s heads, painting green and black camo on their faces for a Ranger Challenge event, or spit and polished and looking “hot” in their dress greens. They called each other by last name, Harris, Cave, Davis, Knight, Pittam, Henderson, and Redmond. In all of the pictures they just looked like the best of the best of the best. After the invasion of Iraq in March 2003, Noah and his friends began to prepare for officer's basic training, and by the end of the semester, he was counting the days until National Leadership Camp. He was a little nervous about what to expect, but he couldn’t wait!

 

1Lt. Andrew Artis (Charleston, SC)
I met Noah on the plane to Ft. Lewis for Advanced Camp... What first struck me about Noah was how genuine he was and motivated to do well. We swapped advice and our game plan on how to accomplish the tasks ahead of us. I was pretty nervous about what we were about to commit ourselves to, but his confidence was reassuring. We ended up in the same regiment and he excelled, setting an example for all of us. I remember seeing him at graduation as the honor graduate for the Regiment.

 

When he got to the Fort, it took him a couple of days to qualify for the opportunity to stand in line for the phone. Noah said we wouldn’t hear from him much because if he had to choose between talking on the phone and eating, food was going to win. He chuckled, “Feel free to send lots of food bars and protein just in case I get hungry. I think this is going to be good for me.”

 

Noah (Letter from Ft. Lewis)
Dear Mom and Dad,
It is 3:15 am the first night and I am on fire watch. I have to wake everyone else up at 4 and the day begins. In such situations, I find it best to leave my mind and thought out of it. No judgment passed, Just Do It! Some repetition on some positives is good, and a lot of prayer helps. This is a great experience for me. I have always wanted to be tougher. Well, here is my chance. The first thing I must let go of is my attachment to sleep and comfort. That is something I have wanted to be done with for a long time. This is my opportunity. I must admit, I was a little nervous yesterday, kind of like going to wrestling camp that first time in sixth grade. That was because I was passing judgment and having expectations (i.e. – not being in the present moment - Be Here Now, BHN). Another improvement I wish to keep working on. I am thankful for the nervous energy, which I am to overcome. It is a little reminder of how good I have it at home, also a challenge for me to overcome.

 

The members of the cadre here really want us to learn and benefit from living out here. I am very motivated to learn as much as I can. I want to get in the habit of being an early riser and not “needing” lots of sleep to function. Also, I am learning that my opinion of a task and how I feel about it are irrelevant; it is all a matter of doing the task diligently and to the best of my ability with a positive attitude.

Dad, I am glad I brought your book; I feel it is relevant to the situation I am in now. By the way! Happy Father’s Day! I am so grateful I have parents like y’all. I have been blessed, truly blessed; for that I am thankful. This camp is a blessing and God continues to put blessings in my life each moment. I noticed it before, but never realized how much of the pain and suffering that people go through is their own creation. They allow themselves to be susceptible to their own negativity. It is a conscious choice. It is all in the head. It is now 15:45 pm – to continue my letter of this morning. I am about to go to chow and finish my second day. 30 to go. I miss you and love you. YMETM and 13 Hugs. With all my love, Noah

 

~ Homemade Scrapbook Birthday card from Mom and Dad - to Noah at Ft. Lewis:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the Greatest JOY of a Mom and Dad’s Life. We are so glad you are having a wonderful time. Like Dad says, you’ve got to follow your bliss.

SON, The moment you were born (high noon June) was the beginning of something wonder-for-us, YOUR LIFE! Before that moment, we were just wayward travelers, floating along the lazy River of Experience. Your birth was like a ray of dazzling sunlight splitting a wall of fog and clouds. Literally, you gave our lives MEANING! You brought numbers – June 25 and #27 Forever! You brought words – Crossface, Garlic Fart, Night Train, Doughnuts, DAWG, Cupie, and LEADERSHIP! You brought emotions – joy, patience, pride, and boundless love. You bring poetry – “Follow the path, not from duct to cheek, but from knife through the heart.” You bring surprises – Crayfish, 335 P.T., ROTC, the Dean’s List, being tossed in the air, your career choice! But, it is so important that you are captivated by your job; it’s got to be something that your eyes, ears, body, heart, mind, and soul can get into. Money can always be made on the side, but your 100,000 hours (average work life) can never be bought back. We think you’ve got a winner! You are beyond a doubt, a TRUE GENTLEMAN and a Champion! We know you are out there representing for Harris Road, and we shore gone celebrate when you get home!

All our love, Lucy and Rick

You are my hero... WAMH, Dad

P.S. We heard from this nice Lady, Marty Horn (Terry College/UGA); she was calling you because her son Tre is joining ROTC, and she wanted reassurance from you. Dad talked to her and answered her questions; and then she went off on what a special person you are. It is such a blessing to be your parent (We try not to let it go to our heads; but if we had buttons on our shirts, they’d be popping off because our hearts are swelling with joy – BGG “By the Grace of God”). Moms

 

 

Out of a group of about 600 cadet officers from around the country, including West Point, North Georgia, and other military academies, Noah was selected to be the COT (Commander of Troops) on graduation day. He was the one who marched the regiment of troops by the commanding officers of the base. My sweet little flower child had come so far in such a short period of time. I no longer expected or wanted him to wash out. I stood back and got ready to cheer, just like in 10th grade when he picked up the fumble and ran for the goal line. Noah had a clear shot on his true destiny and he went for it in his IDWIC way. When we asked him how it was possible that he could have done so well, he said, “Well, I had to make above a certain score on each test, from P.T. to the rifle range, and my platoon won a lot of events. I think they liked me asking a lot of questions. There was a lot of stuff I didn’t know, so I had to ask about everything. Maybe they liked my can opener.” (Noah and his team below).

 

 

1LT. Graham Genrich (Amherst, NY)
As Noah and I went through National Advanced Leadership Camp together we always talked about what we wanted to do once we were commissioned as officers. Our minds changed, but by the time we graduated, he knew what he wanted - and I remember him saying to me with a smile, "Leading troops into battle Genrich, how awesome does that sound?"

 

Noah After Ft Lewis 2003 Fall semester:
I am a warrior and I will live as such. I answer to my higher power and a higher purpose. NALC camp challenged me and what I have realized is that I like to be challenged. I think I am improved in character and integrity. Doing the right thing. Doing something with a positive attitude that no one else will do or wants to do. Be upstanding. A gentleman is equal to all emergencies, makes no man aware of his obscurities. Honor and morals. Think Atticus Finch and Dale Carnegie’s book. Sincerely care about other people. Honor is my touchstone. I am a man who holds honor sacred and with whom virtue is a safe posture. Speak ill of no man; don’t brag. Eliminate “I” from vocabulary. The Lord is my guide and all that I am is a blessing from the Lord. It is okay to have fun, but only when the work is done.

 

Stephanie Mull
I have always asked myself what actually determines the essence of a man or woman… I too have felt that we all truly have a higher purpose in life and Noah knew this. He made the ultimate sacrifice and gave of himself. We should all take a leap of faith and do more for those around us, for those less fortunate, and for our country. Noah, you will never know the lives that have been touched.

 

~ Noah started his last semester in college self-assured in every area of his life. He was the executive officer of Bulldog ROTC, had control of his academics, was making good money building fences, and had moved into a new apartment complex. He was completely fit and operating at peak performance.  No matter where he went, his servant leadership and love of humanity just seemed to expand.

 

Ben Bryant (Fort Drum, NY)
Noah and I went to UGA together and actually joined ROTC at the same time. He and I did the Ranger Challenge Team together, were in the same Regiment at Advanced Camp, and kept in touch through training and while he was overseas. Noah is an inspiration! He had an approach to life unlike any other. I am a LT at 10th Mountain Division now, and I keep a set of Noah's dog tags in my vehicle, each time I hear them, I feel his presence and think of our times together. He taught me some lessons in life that have made me a better man, and a better soldier

 

Frog (Franklin Davenport - 1955 Georgia All State Football, GHS Football Hall of Fame, Gilmer School Board Member for many years, at the #27 jersey retirement ceremony)Lucy, the last time I saw Noah was in 2003.  I was trying to crank my weed eater, and I just couldn’t do it.  So, I walked across the highway to the gas station. Noah was there getting gas. Noah said, “Hey Frog what’ cha doing with that weed eater?” I told him I was tryin’ to get it crunk. So Noah said, “Well, hand it over and let me see it.  Maybe, I can do it.”  And he did; and then he asked me, “What you gonna do now that it’s cranked?”  I told him, ‘I’m gonna weed eat my yard.’ And Noah said, “I think I’ll take care of that for you.”  He mowed my yard, and that’s the God’s truth.

~ Rick and I were privileged to witness Noah’s branch ceremony, during which each of the cadets all across the country finds out for which branch of the Army he or she has been selected. When they called out “Harris,” we held our breath because there was no guarantee that the Army would give him what he wanted. When Noah heard the word “infantry,” his face exploded with relief and exhilaration. It seemed like it just couldn't get any better.

 

 

Noah (ROTC, email “Hey Momma”)
I maxed out the pt test 80 p.u.. (push up) 87 s.u.(sit up) and 12:26 2 mi. I still need Pop Pop's e-mail.  I love you. Have a grrrrrreat day. "It is only when I am afraid that I know I am courageous.  Those who know no fear know not courage."   Original quote - Noah Harris, YMETM

P.S. I know you always say before I can find the love I yearn for from the woman I desire, I must be the man that woman would desire. I will probably always step in puddles I have already stepped in, but I think I am really working on it. I will let go and let God answer all my questions while I sleep.

 

His only complaint was, try as he might, he just couldn’t find his partner or for that matter even a nice woman to take out to dinner. He had always loved the company of women, but he had always told everyone he dated that he had a lot to do before he could get serious. He had long since recovered from the one that broke his heart, and I’ll always pray the hearts he broke have recovered. He’d had so many wonderful girl friends, but now he’d hit a dry spell. When he would fuss about it, I told him, “Remember, you are only looking for one. The rest is practice.” He sighed, “I know, but it sure would be nice to find her.” He’d wistfully folded this verse from The Rubaiyat by Omar Khayam: Here with a loaf of bread beneath the bough, A flask of wine, a book of verse – and thou, Beside me singing in the wilderness – and wilderness is paradise enough...

 

Noah (untitled)
Who you are and how you look, I don’t know.
Where you’re from and where you’re going I’m not sure.
Underneath the starry sky, you may sit as the wind blows.
I’m wishing on those same stars that our paths will cross,
When that day will come, God only knows.
I don’t know you, but I am in love with you.
I haven’t seen you, but I know you are beautiful.
Your voice I have not heard, but it is music to my ears.
I’ll spend my days in search of you,
I’ll spend my nights imagining your face,
Those arms of yours that I will call home,
Those eyes of yours that I so often will roam.
I know you’re out there somewhere,
Maybe we’ve even met and I didn’t recognize you.
But until we are together, until you’re in my arms,
I’ll spend my days searching, and when I find you, I’ll be home.

 

~ In early October, Noah told his dad that he had “...met someone to date.” I remember thinking I’d never heard that phrase before. Noah tried to make it sound casual, but over the next few weeks when he’d call and we’d ask about Ashley, he was either giddy or anxious. One time, she suddenly stopped returning his calls and it flipped his lid a little, so I suggested he go visit her. I thought it was odd when he said, “I’m really busy, and I don’t want to seem like a stalker.” The next thing I knew, he was giggling like a little kid because after he had left her ten phone messages on her phone, he found out she had lost her phone, the only place she had his number. When she finally found it and heard all of his messages, she called him and they had a good laugh; he was sincerely relieved and she thought it was so cute. It’s funny that they had never met because they had crossed tracks quite a few times at UGA. I still laugh when I think of how Noah described her over the phone in his best Bostonian accent (a la the movie Good Will Hunting), “She’s beautiful, she’s funny, and she’s wicked smart.” After the one phone snafu, from what I understand, once they got together, they were never far apart.

 

 

Jennifer Kynerd Grayson
My first remembrance of Noah was when Ashley brought him over to our family’s annual oyster roast. He was such a gentleman & I could tell that he was special. I saw how Ashley looked at him and right then & there I knew he was a wonderful man. I even remember Mr. Horace saying that Noah had stolen Ashley’s heart! I saw how Ashley's eyes lit up around him. He fit right in at the oyster roast having a good time with everyone...on my wedding day...I got ready with my bridesmaids at my parents’ house. Noah & Ashley came over to just hang out until the wedding. They were outside dancing around having a good time. I then remember at my wedding he wore his uniform. I was honored that a soldier in uniform was at my wedding...He gleamed that day….I was not sure if it was his pride of serving his country & getting to wear his dress uniform or the fact that he had Ashley on his side! I now know it was both!

 

Noah (“To Ashley”)
Let’s make this trip together,
A journey so fond.
No matter the weather,
We can strengthen our bond.
So much to live for,
A death sentence we keep.
Let’s search for more,
Before we take the long sleep.
Let’s share this beautiful fervor,
For it is all we possess.
To live as if regret were never.
Believe, let go, live in happiness.

 

~ True happiness is finding your woman and your purpose in life in one year. He made it look so easy, but his mom and dad knew that just like the wrestling championship, it came as a result of years of struggle, loss, loneliness, and painful self-evaluation. He learned from experience that a miracle is an event that you pay for with blood, sweat, and tears; for despite his many successes, the boy had spent the first two years at UGA dealing with homesickness, and the next two on a quest to conquer feelings of loneliness and uncertainty about his career choice and future lifestyle. Suddenly, all the pieces seemed to fall in place and he had it all. Noah was truly happy! He lived the hero’s lifestyle, and with his joyful exuberance for life shining from his heart, he never looked back.

 

Noah (11-29-03, soon to commission)
On this day the revolution began, the revolution of myself. I have seen the truth and am walking to it with head held high. I am defined. I am no longer ruled by emotion or fear. I am open to the universe and intuition. I am all that I want to be and more. I am self-reliant, courageous, and base no decision upon others’ opinions. I believe in myself and have complete faith. I am the man standing strong on the edge of the precipice. I am a servant for God and country. In my servitude, I am truly free. The courage of my spirit will drive me when I lead from the front. I have guts. Guts will be a large part of my success, the gusto to stand up when no one else will. Christ said, “It will be done unto you as you believe.” My way is the way of the warrior and I exemplify loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage. I am organized and precise in thought and planning. I am focused and concentrate on conscious control of attention. The warrior is in a state of being manifested best through piety and sacrifice. All else is in the hands of God. Death before Dishonor. IDBIQ (I die before I quit).

 

 
Pop-Pop, a WWII officer, swearing Noah in    Rick, USMC Vietnam vet, gives Noah his first salute

 

~ Rick (The Commissioning Ceremony)
This was not the kind of morning I had anticipated. We stopped by Noah’s apartment to help him with his dress uniform before the swearing-in ceremony, and I figured with the training he had received he would be "spit and polish" ready. He let us in his apartment which we had not seen, and we walked through the living room to his bedroom. One look and I knew that if any of his commanding officers were to get a look at his room, they’d probably put him in the brig. It was so messy and I said, “Noah, how are you going do this?” but I thought, “Well, maybe the Army will help him get his laundry straight.” Since there were no washer and dryer in this apartment, Noah had developed a unique system for dealing with the amount of dirty athletic clothes he generated daily. He’d hang them on chairs, lamps, door knobs, and bedposts so that they wouldn’t ferment before he had a chance to wash them.

Anyway, that morning, we are standing knee deep in the center of this mess trying to get him dressed for the swearing in ceremony. This was a major big deal, graduating from college, ROTC, and being commissioned as an officer. He was trying to put on his dress uniform, and as it turned out he only had one patent leather dress shoe. Lucy suggested, “We could polish up your regular black shoes. Who is going to notice anyway?” The look that he gave her was his classic, “Silly Mommy.” Quickly, I realized that this was not "spit and polish" military time, but the continuing saga of the packed schedule/dirty bedroom/disorganization time. I started checking and soon found that he was missing several of the emblems he was supposed to have on the lapels of his uniform. After a fast phone call, Noah informed us that his shoe was at Ashley’s house. I cocked my head a little to the right and the corner of my mouth started doing the pre-Armageddon twitch. Time was getting very short.

Noah hauled out of there double time to get his shoe. As it turned out, the shoe had fallen into a laundry basket he had taken over to Ashley's apartment because she was helping him do some of his fermenting piles. Now that was a girl after my own heart, someone who loved Noah and his laundry piles but, "Could she cook?" I wondered. We hadn’t even met her yet, but I'd had many conversations with him as the relationship developed and could tell she was special by his words. Noah and I had talked about most of his relationships throughout his life, but not in personal terms as I did not know most of his dates. We talked about relationships in general and how to look for someone with similar values and interests. Although relationships through high school and college were always fun for Noah, they often left him puzzled, amazed, and frequently bewildered. Welcome to the club! I was encouraged about their relationship when he told me they never stopped talking.

 

As Noah left, Lucy and I got in the truck and headed toward downtown Athens as the ceremony was in the chapel on North Campus. Because it was graduation day, we had to look around to find parking, but we eventually did. Lucy had her fingers crossed that Noah was going to make it on time; my Armageddon lip was still twitching. When we got there, he was nowhere in sight. Just as we were all about to get anxious about whether or not we should tell his commanding officer, he came sauntering up with both shoes and looking great except for the missing emblems. Major Porambo went to work on him and borrowed what was needed off a nearby cadet. Somehow, it all came together and by the seat of his pants, Noah was appropriately dressed on stage. The Armageddon twitch began to subside.

The four inductees looked awesome and as the program unfolded, everyone could feel the magnitude of the event. The church was old and full of history, musky smells, and creaky boards. The reverent protocol of the tradition seemed to echo the ages of troops who had come before. Anybody who has ever been there would probably agree that the place seemed filled with the presence of past guardians of liberty. When an officer is commissioned, his bars get pinned on him which Lucy and I were proud to do. Next, as Lucy's dad was an officer during World War II, Pop Pop had the honor of swearing him in.

The ceremonial tradition after an officer was sworn in, was for an NCO to give the officer his very first salute. After the first salute, the officer hands the person a silver dollar. Having served as a sergeant in the U.S. Marines during the Vietnam era, it was my privilege to give Noah his very first salute. Noah had come down the stairs and was standing in front of the stage and I walked down the center aisle until I stood in front of him, came to attention and saluted. Normally, an officer will give a quick and snappy salute, at which time the NCO drops his salute. For some reason I could not figure out at the time, Noah held the salute for a very long time. NCO’s are supposed to hold the salute until the officer drops his arm. I knew he wasn't messing with me, but what I didn't realize was my daughter Kym was trying to get a shot of the two of us from behind me. He was watching her and waiting for her to get into position. She got one shot off before I broke with tradition and lowered my arm first. We had a good laugh about it later when I apologized, but I also reminded him that I still outranked him as his dad. 

The whole family was so proud. It was a real honor for Lucy, her dad, and I to be able to participate in the induction of our boy’s commissioning. At the time, I was exceedingly optimistic about Noah's potential as an officer. In my military experience, I had some good and some not-so-good officers and I was going to continue to do what I could to help him learn about  that aspect of leadership. All of his life, I taught Noah that the complete person manifested on all levels meaning physically strong, emotionally stable, mentally focused, and spiritually receptive. On the physical, Noah was an impressive beast. He was strong, healthy, and hungry; and he was a fierce opponent.

 

1LT Byron Wilson (Ft. Riley, KS)
...the first classmate I met before starting IOBC. We met at Ranger Joe's the day before we in-processed. It was an honor to train with you and I'll never forget what a tough guy you were and how well you performed, especially in combatives. You were a very well liked and respected peer.

~ Yet even with his good looks and charm, he was not egotistical. He had a gentle and even temperament. He was mentally focused and determined and he was especially responsible with regard to his personal self-development. Spiritually, he was receptive to Christ's light and intuition, and he embraced the miraculous, vowing to serve a purpose higher than himself. Even though he often had to have help with laundry issues, Noah truly was Captain America, my hero, my son, and my best friend.

 

Letter to Noah after he commissioned:
Son, when you were a little kid and we were fantasizing about what you might be, we saw many avenues: athletics, theater, teaching, business. In the end, your final choice of a career was a surprise when you made it, but now we couldn’t be more proud if you were the president of the free world. And when you were talking about the various branches, we were trying to steer you toward finance, computers, signal corps, but now we are so happy that you have committed yourself to something you completely believe in. The infantry is where we now believe you’ll be able to bring your many aptitudes, talents, and skills to the service of your country. And so, we light the candle for your career with great pride, knowing that the security and peace of America and the freedom of the whole world will be protected by you. You ARE an Army of ONE!!!! 

 

Mom (She’s beautiful, she’s funny, she’s wicked smart!)
We'd only been acquainted with Noah’s mysterious new “real” girlfriend since the commissioning ceremony, but I instantly liked Ashley Case. I felt my heart flutter like a Mom’s will because I could tell that he really liked her. I’d seen him with a lot of girls before, ones he thought he liked, but I could feel this was different and I hoped for the best. After he started his officer's training at Ft. Benning, whenever he came home, he brought her with him. I knew they were a perfect match because they just never stopped talking, sometimes seriously, often politically, constantly humorously, and completely lovingly. I heard them chattering as they got out of the little white car, chattering in the yard on a walk, chattering all through dinner, chattering while they headed back out to the car. This was the real thing, and it was just right, right from the beginning. When Rick said right in front of her, “Son she’s a mall chick,” she just burst out laughing and Noah swung her up over his head. She had been a gymnast, so they were sure to have fun together, but the kicker was the first, four-way, group-hug kiss, a very serious tradition with Noah. Ashley jumped right into it without hesitation and turned it into hilarity. She has a way of twisting everything to its humorous side. However, she is also the kind of young person who studies and believes in the Constitution, so she completely supported his commitment to defend America because, like him, she wanted a safe, free world for the curly-headed babies they planned to have someday. Their relationship was a blessing of sweetness and light during a time of great change for both of them. In the aftermath of graduation festivities as Noah was packing for Ft. Benning, Saddam Hussein was rousted out of his spider hole, and there was cause for hope. Noah and Ashley were stepping into the unknown world of military and career, but they had each other to help find the way.

 

Gloria (Ashley's mom), Noah’s second Mom
Noah was totally honest about anything. Nothing was taboo with him. He was completely straightforward and interested in everything. He was tireless, and had a high energy level. That’s why he loved Ashley; she could keep up with him, and as Lucy always says, “I’d vote for her for any office because she’s a good, smart American.” I remember one time, Ashley said, “Show my mom how you propose to me.” He dropped to one knee and proposed in front of Horace and a whole party of people. He just was never embarrassed. Ashley loved that because she was the same way. Every Friday, he would bring his laundry up from IOBC at Fort Benning to do it with Ashley’s help, but he made her so happy that I would do it because it gave them time to enjoy life.

 

Michael Lewis (Nashville, TN)
We went through Infantry Officer Basic Course and Airborne school together. He was a fine officer and more importantly a truly wonderful person. When things got really frustrating, and this happened often at Ft. Benning, Noah was always there to share a gripe and also a joke. And you always came away feeling a lot better after you talked to him.

Another thing Noah and Ashley had in common was they loved to go out to eat and try new items on the menu. Afterwards, they’d go out for an Atlanta night on the town, and they’d wind up at a famous pub in Buckhead, The Red Door because the owner, Steve was a Sig Ep. Tom, “the cop” was a true friend to Noah even loaning him an extra uniform jacket when Noah was cold on his last New Year’s Eve.

 

Johann Hindert
My friend Noah and I met in IOBC at Ft. Benning. Even though we were in different platoons, Noah made an impression on me. Noah’s wonderful, fun-loving attitude and amazing athletic abilities could not help but be noticed by all. Before leaving for my home in Cincinnati and then on my tour in Korea, I had the opportunity to eat dinner with Noah a couple of times. The first time was in his apartment where we ate huge portions of fresh deer meat (courtesy of Major Toon) while Noah showed us a movie he had been in. We all had some good laughs about it before putting the Simpson’s back on. The second time was for a Georgia Football game. Even a Michigan fan like myself would root for the Bulldogs in Noah’s presence! Noah truly lived life to the fullest. His outgoing and upbeat personality couldn’t help but influence those around him.

 

~ Rick - U.S. ARMY, 3^rd ID

Noah was pumped about graduating from IOBC, but ironically, soon after the ceremony, things slowed down for him. There was no spot open at Fort Bragg, home of the 82nd, so he was in limbo, waiting. In all branches of the military, there are a percentage of troops in constant rotation from unit to unit or on special assignments, and while they are in transition, they are assigned to a base support company and put to work. Their duties could be anything from weed-eating to picking up an officer at the base airport, and rank did not matter. Since he was new to military procedures, Noah realized too late that the older and experienced guys who were assigned to this unit never reported in so they didn't have to show up for these menial tasks. Since Noah never entertained thoughts about cheating or taking a short cut in his life, he was destined to put up with the aggravation, and the sergeants-in-charge loved to give as much grief as possible to the officers. If he were to pass this way again, I'm sure Noah would be entertaining some new thoughts on the matter.

He had recently completed the same jump school that Pop Pop went through during WWII and I went through as part of my recon training in the Marine Corps. He had really enjoyed the excitement of jumping out of a plane, but now he was in transition and he was feeling a little antsy. Working out, cooking, and minding his development were not enough to keep him from looking for his platoon and worrying that if he didn’t get one soon, he would wind up being an executive officer sitting behind a desk somewhere. The way Noah was chomping at the bit to be a platoon leader, riding an office chair, even in Iraq, would have been a dreaded spectator sport for him. Noah and I had many career discussions which focused on finding his passion and never quitting until the desired objective was achieved.  I knew my boy, and given a choice between paperwork and combat, he would choose combat every time. It was a good thing that he only reported Monday through Friday because on the weekends, Ashley did her best to keep him from worrying about anything.

More Gloria (Fort Benning/ Powder Springs Rendezvous)
Ashley and Noah were always on the go. They were gonna have a house in the mountains and a townhouse in Atlanta, and a horse farm out west. I remember looking at them and thinking, “Don’t ever stop dreaming.” Ashley always said he and his friends were so special because they weren’t afraid of anything. All that year, when he would roll into Powder Springs on Friday evening to spend the weekend, he always had someone with him, someone who wouldn’t have had a ride or any place to go. He was always sharing his room on the base with guys who were in transition. Ashley said, “Noah was more selfless than me. I helped him out with all the guys because I wanted to help him.” Noah was her total package. He had it all.

~ After several months of what felt like purposeless days, an interesting turn of events landed Noah in the 3rd Infantry. While pumping iron at the gym, he met a 3^rd I.D. Lt. who wanted to get into 82nd. This guy suggested a swap and informed Noah that officers could switch jobs prior to reaching their assignment with a single form letter. He called and we talked about the wisdom of going with a mobile unit as opposed to an airborne unit because his knees still hurt from his strenuous athletic career. After submitting the paper work, Noah became a member of the Sledge Hammer Brigade.

 

Captain Bradford Gaddy
Every leader is only as good as those who follow him. He knew this. He was unique and his reputation preceded him... muscle head, meat rack. But when he came, we soon knew he was a giant walking bear, but a gentle one. He was a big man, but he could be approached at any time. He had open ears, and he never let up! 

 

Daniel B. Anton (Platoon Leader of Second Squad, Bayonet Company)
Noah, I remember back when you first got to 2-69 AR.  Dave Forbes commented that it would be funny if you ended up coming to Bayonet so that you could “rule” me. They would kid me because I was the only one who really liked to lift weights, so of course, they enjoyed egging me on. You know how Dave could be, so he constantly said that to me until it honestly got annoying. I think I almost started to not like you even before I met you. Funny enough, it was Jason Zaruto who said, “Yeah, but watch if he comes to Bayonet, the two of you will end up becoming great friends and lifting buddies. Truer words have never been said. Your personality was so friendly and outgoing that it was impossible. Finally, I had someone to lift weights with and talk about fitness stuff. It was great having you as a brother in arms. As time went on we grew even closer and I considered you one of my best friends. We had so many good times together. I remember always being in a good mood when I was hanging with you...Of course, we had times when we would make fun of you for being a cheerleader, but I actually thought it was cool since you got to hang out with all those cute girls. Bro, I know you loved being a platoon leader... 

 

~ After he signed the papers, he told us that the 3rd Infantry would be heading to Iraq right after Christmas. I knew he would see action, but for one reason or another, I didn't think it would happen this fast. It was not really a surprise when he called to say he had been assigned to a platoon because we often talked about the "charmed" life he lived with things always falling into place.

 

Major Bobby R. Toon
The first time I saw Noah was at our Battalion Hail and Farewell.  It is a tradition for the other LTs to get the new guy’s info card the battalion commander is going to read and make some “additions” to the bio.  Usually they are pretty funny and in good spirit.  When LTC Roggerman had Noah stand up and walk up in front of everyone, I saw a huge, no neck infantry LT that made LTC Roggerman look small, which is not easy.  As he read Noah’s bio, he said that Noah was Captain of his university cheerleading squad.  Of course, we thought it was a joke and everyone laughed.  During our initial meeting, I told him I thought the part about cheerleading was funny, to which Noah replied, “That wasn’t a joke sir!” 

 

~ From my perspective, Noah worked so hard to achieve something, the universe simply flowed with him and opened the next doors he needed. Impatience to always be moving forward is a characteristic he and I share so it was evident that this was another interlocking puzzle piece falling into place. Noah told us that one of the platoon leaders had been selected for special training and would have to give up his platoon. Consequently November 4, 2004, Lt. Noah Harris was about to become one of the youngest LT’s to ever receive a platoon and he had to quickly prepare them for combat, a task that had not been done in this unit since Vietnam. Lucy and I celebrated with him as he said, “You’ll never guess what we’re called. The Wolf Pack.”  Lucy said he’d growled as a Bobcat and barked as a Bulldog; it seemed right that now he was going to get to howl. After he got his platoon, we’d talk early in the morning sometimes, but most of the time, he was out in the field or training with the guys. He completely enjoyed getting to know his men, and he especially enjoyed sharpening his combative techniques with them.

 

SSG. Andrew T. Miller of 3rd platoon, Bayonet Co. 2-69 AR (Andrew and Brittany named their fourth child, Noah William Miller; he is watched over by siblings Marissa, Raevn, and Braiden)
We had just barely met Noah. He was brand new. We didn't know his background. So, he came walking up when we were doing combatives. Sgt. Barr, who was my team leader at the time is level 3 combatives qualified which gives him the ability to train level 1 and he was instructing at the time. And he is huge so we said, “Hey Sir, how’s it going?” to Lt. Harris. We thought it would be funny and paired him and Sgt. Barr together; Noah rolled him up 3 times in a row. I remember he got Sgt. Barr in an arm bar pretty quick and Barr tapped out. Sgt. Barr has a humongous neck; you can't choke him out. I know; I tried. Noah was a good guy. When he got chewed out for something we did, he always said, “It’s o.k. I’m over it.”

 

3rd ID song:

I’m just a dogfaced soldier

with a rifle on my shoulder,

And I eat raw meat for breakfast every day.

So feed me ammunition,

Keep me in the 3^rd division,

Your dogface soldier is A-okay.

~ MOM - November 19, 2004 (Never Forget!)
I enjoyed watching him grow by leaps and bounds, but no matter how tough he was becoming, it hit him hard when Marine Cpl. Bradley T. Arms, a fellow Sigma Phi Epsilon member was killed in a fire fight in Anbar Province, Iraq. Cpl. Arms was a reservist who left UGA when he was called up for duty. Because Bradley was much younger than Noah, they hadn't been close friends, but in many ways they had been and always will be brothers. Bradley was known for his commitment to his military purpose, the Sig Ep Balanced Man Program, his exuberant love of UGA, and his desire to help the children of Iraq.

 

Noah (3^rd I.D. prayer)
Relax. Be in the moment. Let little things go. Focus. Who cares who is watching? Let go and let God. Have Faith. When it’s time to work, work; when it’s time to rest, rest. Be detached and disciplined. Give life your best shot. It’s about giving, not receiving.

 

Noah (The Servant Leader)
“Hey Mom! I have a great idea for you and your kids. You know how your Octagon (affiliated with Optimist International) kids and your leadership guys are always getting involved and supporting people.” “That’s what we do.” “How about adopting my platoon when we are in Iraq? You know, writing, sending cookies, and care packages?” “Oh my gosh! That sounds awesome. I’m sure my kids will love it!” So I went into school the next day and asked some of my leaders of the Octagon Club. Joanna DeFoor, Melissa Powell and Lian Gabriel said they thought it sounded great and asked, “How many men in a platoon?” I responded, “Maybe five or six. I think we can handle it.” Boy, was I surprised when I asked, “Son, how many guys in your platoon.” Noah answered casually, “I only have about 40 right now.” I took a deep breath and said, “Yeah, Baby!” But my students were undaunted. Melissa Powell made an Adopt-A-Troop sign out of pictures Noah took of all the men; and we put it up in the school and the project took off like a fighter jet. Driven by Noah’s exuberant appreciation and the hometown desire to support their “boy,” lots of students outside of the club were volunteering as well as teachers.

 

 

From OCTAGON to the Wolf Pack
Dear Wolf Pack,
We are students at GHS who are inspired and motivated and we have your back. Thank you so much for giving all of us the opportunity to touch your lives; it makes us feel connected with your noble effort to bring Freedom and Democracy to the world and to fight the War on Terror. From the pictures we now have displayed in our cafeteria for all to see, it is easy to see you men could have done anything with your lives. That makes your sacrifice even more special. You chose to serve and protect, and we realize we owe you our lives. God Bless YOU! By the way, did you know you guys are “handsome” “gorgeous” “hunks” and “hot”? We had to put the pictures behind glass to keep the ladies from kissing them. Our Wal-mart has donated lots of extra copies of your pictures to the cause, and you all adorn the lockers of many people who are dedicated to YOU! We are the Bobcats, but the members of the Wolf Pack are our GREAT AMERICAN HEROES. Wherever you go and no matter what you endure, we will be with you. We love our platoon, the ONE and only, WOLF PACK! PS – We are learning how to howl.
Love, Haley (Ford), Amber (Mooney), Rosie (Lowry), Eddie (Sanford) and a whole lot of Bobcats

 

~ Adopt-A-Troop started to spread across the community of Ellijay to churches and civic organizations, and before we knew it people from all over the state were calling the school asking what they could do to help the platoon that was headed to Iraq. The UGA Cheerleaders got on board as well as ILA and Highwoods Properties. It just kept spreading even to folks who had no connection with Noah. When some of the Gilmer High School leadership students were collecting donations for postage and care packages, a nice gentleman, James Padgett took our information and his whole company got involved. Art Nieto of Dogtag City.com printed Wolf Pack dog tags so that the people involved would have a symbol they could wear, and the word just kept spreading. When Alyssa, Hailey, and Kym got involved, the Girls Scouts and Pulse Dance Academy got on board; the dots just kept connecting.

 

Noah - Hello Dr. Lankau,
It is great to hear from you. I apologize for taking so long to get back to you. We are extremely busy, trying to get everything packed and still continue training. I am thankful that I was part of the Leadership program. It prepared me more than I would have ever imagined. In the military I have received a lot of training on how to do things, but nothing on leadership. So, when I first took over my platoon (40 men), I was the leader with no one to tell me what to do. I had to be the one doing the telling. 

That is where the leadership program's training stepped in. I had my leadership style and philosophy already developed. It guided my decision making as well. I found myself asking the question, "Is this decision consistent with my guidelines?" I didn't have my leadership philosophy written down. I am working on that right now. I highly recommend that for everyone entering the work world. It will keep you from getting caught off guard and keep you consistent in your leadership. One other thing I learned is, the best way to learn about leadership is to do it. 

We'll be heading out in January, and probably will be gone for at the very least 14 months. I plan on taking good notes on leadership. I'll try to e-mail you some of my lessons learned from over there. 

Thank you so much for your prayers. Please, also pray for my men. Send my best to your other half and family. 

With respect, Noah

 

Noah Journal (December 28, 2004, 5 days until deployment)
I am excited and nervous. I am seeing the importance of detaching myself, being completely selfless. What I am doing is bigger than me. I am doing this for my country, my family, my men, and the citizens of the U.S. Character and principle are paramount. It is important for me to stay in the present moment. Think not of what’s to come. Don’t make conspiracies. Be my best in the moment and leave the rest up to God and have faith. I am a selfless, bodiless, timeless warrior. Today is a good day to die. Realize and let go. There are many watching over me. Be the man they will be proud to be watching over.

 

~ It all just happened so fast. I hardly had time to worry about the rapidly approaching January deployment. One day he was graduating from high school and, it seems, the next, our axis had shifted, and our sweet mountain child was headed to the other side of the world carrying a torch of freedom. Ashley had gotten a job as a pharmaceutical rep with a start-up company and had to leave for her training two days before Noah deployed. I’ll never forget how they bravely blew kisses, YMETM’d, and fiercely smiled until she walked out of sight. Then, Noah turned to me with tears in his eyes and said, “Now, that was like a kick in the gut.”

“Little Brother” David (Noah's cousin)
I sit in the cabin next to the creek that runs through our old “stomping” ground. In the stillness the memories come to me. I remember Saturday morning cartoons and MTV at Grandma’s house, the cliff that we climbed off of Route 52, 4-wheeling through the forest, shooting BBs at water spiders, the giant yellow pillow we used to lie on together as we watched movies, the waterfall we used to slide down on the Cartecay, learning to drive on his lap in the Corolla, theatre class, crawling through the culvert under the drive way and playing in the creek, working in the yard, the glow-in-the-dark paint above the spot where I used to lie on his bedroom floor, the nightly conversations we would have about life, downtown Dahlonega where we bought matching yin-yang marble necklaces, how much he cried at Grandma’s funeral, the first time he saw me play in a band, our last night out on the town in Athens, our trip to visit Robby in Florida, we listened to Alice In Chains – "Jar Of Flies" and I read his novel to him as he drove in the rain; and I remember the mountain parties. One time someone yelled, “Cops!” and without hesitation, Noah grabbed me by the back of my shirt and jumped off the back deck. Without breaking stride, he threw me over his shoulder, dashed through the forest, hurdled a barbed wire fence, and then ran half way around a lake before finally coming to rest in the bed of a pick-up truck. Some joke!

 

When Noah was about seventeen or eighteen years old he wrote a poem entitled “At Last.” He called me one day to tell me of this poem of which he was very proud. He submitted it to poetry.com. He told me that there was something very special about the words that would be revealed in time, and he made a point to express that it was my responsibility to remember this poem’s existence. The night before Noah shipped out, I drove down to Benning for dinner with Rick, Lucy, and Noah. We went out to eat at a sports bar with a reputation for BBQ. Noah had a Newcastle to drink and something “manly” to eat, like ribs or steak. I didn’t do much talking. I wanted to cherish these moments with Noah for what they were. I observed. I don’t recall what was said; I don’t recall anything about that meal except for the smile on his face. He was days away from facing war but light years away from the rest of us in that he understood who he was, why he was where he was, where he was going, and why it had to be that way. There was no fear in his heart, there was no doubt; there was only certainty and faith.

 

It grew dark and got late without my noticing and Noah needed time alone with his parents, so we all walked to the parking lot together. I remember we told each other we loved one another, we hugged, and then, Noah and I stopped time for a while and peered into one another’s soul. I caught the glimmering street light in his eyes, but it was not alone. He had light pouring out of his eyes into mine, and every moment we had shared, every lesson we taught each other, and every state of being we experienced made sense. In this silence, all that had been said and everything that never was became understood. He knew and was telling me, no matter what happened, he was, is, and always will be a servant of light. We stared at each other for as long as we needed to understand, and then I left.

It took me almost three years to finish the song “Simply American.” The name and the “hook” were inspired by Lucy’s premise and the saying Noah became known for, “I do what I can.” The final lyrics came one night when Noah reached across from the other side and reminded me. I had been sitting in my bedroom late at night, fiddling around on my guitar, when I had the impulse to go online and look for his poem. I had searched for it many times without success, and it has never been posted again, but that night when I opened the site, there was Noah’s poem; and as I read, I understood that he knew all along how his life would play out.

 

Noah Harris (“At Last”)
Far away places pull at my mind
Whispering softly, "Make much of time,"
Reminding me that while they will last,
My life too soon's a thing of the past.

Like the leaves living on a solemn oak tree,
The oak will remain, but the green is set free.
Each second that passes is one less to spend,
The clock will keep ticking long past my end.

Like a tumbleweed, I will ride on the wind,
For the mossy rock with death does not contend,
I pull up my roots, with no word walk away,
Die I shall, but not in this place and not on this day.

 

Next: Chapter 9