EMMIE BOESE
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Garrick Harmon is a 1988 graduate of Hutchinson High School and is on the wall of honor. He is also now a two star general. More specifically, he is Major General Garrick M. Harmon of the U.S. Army Security Assistance Command. Harmon was selected to gain his second star earlier this month.
Harmon's parents, Cheryl and Ken Harmon still reside in Hutchinson. Cheryl said she and her husband were overwhelmed with emotion when they found out their son would be a two star general in the Army.
"We sat here and bawled first," Cheryl said. "Wow, you are what, you know? We knew when he was on the list but you know, we didn't know when that was going to get clarified and taken care of and it's like wow, you know. We just thought the one star and that would be the end."
Cheryl said her son grew up always knowing what he wanted to do.
"And he walked into his Kindergarten teacher and said I just want you to know, I'm going to West Point and I will be a general someday," Cheryl said.
Cheryl said her son's early familiarity with the Army may have had to do with the fact that he was surrounded by family members who were in the service. His closest tie is his dad Ken, who served in the Navy during the Vietnam War.
Ken said he and his son bonded over the Navy versus Army college football game that closes every regular season.
"Every morning, no matter where he was, I would call him up," Ken said. "Leave a message or talk to his wife, you know, Go Navy, beat Army, and he would do the same thing to me."
Ken and Cheryl said their son knew all the "stories" and many facts about war history. Ken recalled coming home one night the day before the anniversary of D-Day of WWII to Garrick and a friend imitating a piece of history from the event.
"I came in the house and I heard water running and I thought okay," Ken said. "Something was wrong so I checked it out. Garrick and a friend of his that lived down the street here put a tent up and took the sprinklers and put them beside the tent because it was raining that night before they finally called it off."
Garrick Harmon graduated with a Bachelor of Science in European History and Russian Language from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1992 and a masters of Arts in Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia Studies from Harvard University. He also has a Masters of Arts in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College and was a fellow in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Seminar XXI Program.
Some of the Hutchinson native's awards and decorations include a Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, a Bronze Star Medal and others. He is married and has three adult children.
CLICK HERE to download the Hutch Post mobile app.
CLICK HERE to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.