Howard Harris
from an email

MY NAME IS HOWARD H. HARRIS. AT THE TIME OF THE DISASTER I LIVED IN LONGVIEW AND WAS IN ATTENDANCE AT LONGVIEW HIGH SCHOOL FROM WHICH I GRADUATED IN 1939. WHEN THE EXPLOSION HAPPENED I WAS AT FOOTBALL PRACTICE AND THE BOY SCOUT TRANSPORTATION CAME TO PICK UP ALL BOY SCOUTS AND DELIVER US TO THE NEW LONDON SCHOOL TO ASSIST IN ANY WAY WE COULD. THERE IS ONE STORY I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF IN CASE NO ONE ELSE HAS. AT SOME TIME DURING ALL OF THE CONFUSION AND MOURNING I SAW A SMALL BOY SITTING ON THE STEPS AT ONE OF THE EXITS FROM THE BUILDING THAT HAD ACTUALLY FALLEN DOWN AROUND HIM. HE HAD WALKED DOWN THE HALL AND USED THE FIRST EXIT HE FOUND (I AM ASSUMING THIS). I LOOKED HIM OVER FOR INJURIES AND ALL I FOUND WAS A VERY SMALL PIECE OF GLASS N HIS SHIRT POCKET. THATS HOW CLOSE HE CAME TO BEING KILLED. I WANTED TO TRY TO CALL HIS MOTHER BUT HE HAD NO IDEA WHAT IS NAME WAS. ONE OF THE ADULTS TOOK HIM AWAY AND I NEVER SAW HIM AGAIN. WONDERING ABOUT HIM HAS HAUNTED ME ALL THESE YEARS.

I WOULD GIVE ANYTHING TO KNOW WHO HE WAS AND GET IN TOUCH WITH HIM IF POSSIBLE. DURING ALL OF THE TIME I WAS NEAR HIM HE DIDNT UTTER A WORD. HE DIDNT APPEAR TO BE FRIGHTENED. I DONT GUESS HE REALLY KNEW AT THAT POINT WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO HIM. I HAVE PRAYED MANY TIMES THAT HE WAS ALRIGHT.

I AM LIVING IN FREDERICKSBURG VIRGINIA AT 200=B WHITE OAK ROAD, 22405---TELE.NO. 540-899-9864. AS I REMEMBER I WAS THERE FOR ABOUT 18 HOURS. I WAS `14 AT THE TIME AND I AM 82 NOW. IF THERE IS ANY WAY I CAN BE OF ASSISTANCE TO YOU JUST LET ME KNOW. HOWARD