Tupelo Post Office named for Vietnam POW

U.S. Representative Trent Kelly (R-MS 01) has announced the passage of H.R. 208, by both chambers in the U.S. Congress. The bill now awaits the President’s signature. This legislation will name the U.S. Post Office located at 500 West Main Street in Tupelo the Colonel Carlyle “Smitty” Harris Post Office.

“Colonel Harris was held as a Prisoner of War in Vietnam for just under eight years, enduring starvation, solitude, and torture,” Rep. Kelly said. “Despite dire living conditions, Col. Harris introduced the tap code to his fellow POWs to secretly communicate between cells. During his time in captivity, letters he wrote to his wife, Louise, were delivered to the Tupelo Post Office. I am thankful for the support from members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate in this endeavor to honor a great American Patriot.”

Retired United States Air Force Colonel Carlyle “Smitty” Harris’s F-105 fighter-bomber was shot down over North Vietnam on April 4, 1965. He was the sixth American to become a Prisoner of War (POW) in North Vietnam.

DeSoto County News Service

Bob Bakken

Bob Bakken is the most recognized and most trusted name in DeSoto County news and sports reporting, as readers continue to express their appreciation for his accuracy and fairness in the stories he writes. Bob is also heard on 95.3 The Rebel twice a week with sports updates and high school football play-by-play broadcasts in the fall. A former newspaper editor and writer, his award-winning background also includes television news producing, sports media relations, and radio broadcasting.

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