Sgt. Harris was left M-60 machine gunner aboard a Marine UH-34 involved in a troop insert/search and destroy mission.  This day the ground forces (Marine or ARVN?) were tasked to land next to a village situated in a low flat land area 20 to 25 miles outside the Ky Ha area.  Upon discharging the troops they would sweep through the village searching for elements of the Viet Cong.  There were six Uh-34s tasked to haul the ground forces.

Sgt. Harris' aircraft  was on final approach to the landing zone (LZ), in a "guns cold" mode when it received enemy fire.  The aircraft commander authorized the crew to return fire and directed their attention to the area the fire was being received from.  Sgt. Harris commenced returning fire to identifiable targets on the ground.  The aircraft settled into the LZ, the troops were off-loaded and the helo lifted from the zone  still receiving enemy fire.  It was during the departure phase, with both M-60s blazing away, that a number of small arms/automatic weapons rounds entered the crew's compartment of the aircraft.  Sgt. Harris was hit with multiple shrapnel wounds to his arms and legs but undauntedly continued to man his M-60.  Soon the H-34 was beyond the range of the enemy fire and the pilot was notified of Sgt. Harris' condition.  The pilot immediately diverted to the nearest medical aid station located at Ky Ha which was 15 to 20 minutes away.

Sgt. Harris, after being stabilized and his wounds cared for, was air evacuated the same day to a hospital at Clark Air Force Base, Angeles City, Philippines.  Sgt. Harris received further treatment there and was later transferred to hospitals in San Francisco and Camp Pendleton, California.  Sgt. Harris' wounds healed and after considerable recuperation time he returned to full duty as a Marine Recruiter during January 1967.