Harry F. Harrower
Tomb Position
SentinelTomb Relief
Highest Military Rank
Private (E2)Tomb Dates
Jan 2050 - Jan 2051Society Membership
MemberObituary
1928 – 2016 Harry F. Harrower, age 87, passed away January 23, 2016. He was born in Shipman, Virginia. He was the son of Harry N. and Annie Lee (Kidd) Harrower. He served in the U.S. Army in the Old Guard as a guard of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and later deployed to Korea where he earned several awards including the Combat Infantryman Badge. After his discharge, he became an operating engineer with the I.U.O.E.,Local 542. He retired in 1990 and enjoyed life with his wife and best friend, the late Kate Harrower with whom he shared 58 years. Fred lived in Sharon Hill for 59 years before moving to Media. Fred is survived by three daughters, Deborah (Arthur) Belfi, Donna (Kevin) Jennings, and Diane Harrower. He is also survived by nine grandchildren, Matthew, Stephen, Laura (McDermott), and Caitlyn Belfi and by Christopher, Arthur, Michael, Loretta, and John Tustin and twelve great-grandchildren. Also survived by one sister, Josephine Young. The family would like to thank the exemplary staff at Sunrise at Granite Run for the outstanding care he received during the past four years. Services are private. In lieu of flowers, donations in his name may be made to The Veteran’s Trust Fund, https://donate.dmva.pa.gov. Published in The Daily Times on Jan. 26, 2016Outside Tributes
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Did you know?
Are the shoes specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet?
The shoes are standard issue military dress shoes. They are built up so the sole and heel are equal in height. This allows the Sentinel to stand with a straight back and perpendicular to the ground. A side effect of this is that the Sentinel can "roll" on the outside of the build up walking down the mat. Done correctly, the hat and bayonet will appear to not "bob" up and down with each step. It gives a more formal, fluid and smooth look to the walk, rather than a "marching" appearance.
The soles have a steel tip on the toe and a "horseshoe" steel plate on the heel. This prevents wear on the sole and allows the Sentinel to move smoothly during his movements when he turns to face the Tomb and then back down the mat.
Then there is the "clicker". It is a shank of steel attached to the inside of the face of the heel build-up on each shoe. It allows the Sentinel to heel click during certain movements. A guard change is considered great when all the heel clicks fall together and sound as one click. The guard change is occasionally done in the "silent" mode (as a sign of devotion to the Unknowns) with no voice commands - every thing is done in relation to the heel clicks and on specific counts.
