FORT BRAGG, N.C. — She is all things pink bows, curly hair, and giggles. However, 1-year-old, Christian Michelle Harris doesn’t yet fully know the sacrifice her father, U.S. Army Spc. Christopher "Chris" Harris made fighting for her freedom.
The little girl stood over her father's graveside holding an American flag.
She's learning something every day about her hero dad thanks to her loving mother, Brittany "Britt" Harris who was just six weeks pregnant when she found out she would never see her husband again.
“She will grow up knowing everything about him. I will tell her every story and show her every picture I have. She will grow up with the utmost amount of pride in who her father was,” Harris said.
The family including her grandparents visited the graveside on Memorial Day.
They remembered the sacrifice the Fort Bragg soldier made on August 2, when he was killed by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan. But instead of mourning, they celebrated his life.
Harris wrote on her Facebook page, “With each ceremony, every speech, and each name carved in stone, may we take a moment to recognize the true meaning in this holiday. Do not mourn those that have given such a sacrifice, instead, praise and celebrate them for being the heroes that made our lives better. Applaud their dedication to something bigger than themselves. And if you knew Chris Harris, have a drink for him today.”
Harris said from the very beginning her husband left her with a “little miracle” before his deployment.
Her daughter who's named after her father is walking and talking a lot these days as she continues to grow. She loves to say, “Mama.” She also looks a lot like her daddy.
Britt who writes a blog called, “From Widow to Warrior” wrote about her daughter saying, “Soft curls that frame your perfect face. Silky, Carmel skin. And those eyes. Oh, those eyes. I’m sure you borrowed them from someone we know. So blue I could see the depths of the sea when you blink.”
1-Year-Old Remembers Heroic Father She’ll Never Meet On Memorial Day
When she was a baby, Harris shared photos of her newborn daughter wrapped in her father’s army uniform, next to his boots, and with his folded American flag.
Photos Of Baby In Fallen Father’s Military Uniform
Harris said she continues to receive support from her husband's fellow Fort Bragg comrades.
In fact, it was a group of soldiers who revealed the little girl's gender during a special reveal party following her husband's death.
One thing is for sure, she will grow up knowing about her father’s legacy and will continue to be one very patriotic girl.
