Ark Valley News - Family: Sky and soldier are a ‘perfect match’

James Harris pets Sky as his fiancée Alaxandra Washburn smiles during a ceremony June 18 in McLaughlin Park.

Family: Sky and soldier are a ‘perfect match’
By Chris Strunk
Last Updated: July 02, 2015

James Harris and Sky have issues.

And now they have each other.

Harris, a U.S. Army veteran who suffered a brain injury and has post-traumatic stress disorder, received a service dog from the American Legion last week.

Sky, a German Shepherd who is about 2 years old, will be trained over the next several months to help Harris in his recovery.

"This is going to change James' life," said Alaxandra Washburn, Harris' fiancée. "In a way, Sky has kind of been through the things he has. I honestly think it's a perfect match."

Harris figured Sky would be a good fit when he heard about her background. Abandoned at the humane society, Sky had a severe infection that took part of her tail and almost took her life. She was abused and neglected.

"When I saw her, I said that's the one I want," said Harris, who has suffered two seizures since he returned from Afghanistan in 2011. "I think things will maybe get a little simpler for me. … Me coping with things, she will be there by my side, not being worried about if and when something will happen."

During a ceremony in McLaughlin Park on June 18, the Kansas American Legion presented Sky as well as donations of dog food, cash and equipment for the animal.

The American Legion Riders attended the ceremony, along with several Legion dignitaries from across the region.

"We have a hero among us," said Terry Marr, American Legion Department of Kansas Fifth District commander. "Today, we want to say, welcome home soldier, comrade and brother, James Harris."

Harris, who grew up in Valley Center and graduated from Valley Center High School in 2007, enlisted in the U.S. Army while in high school. After a stint in the reserves, Harris entered full-time active duty as a military police officer.

On a second tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2011, Harris was injured when an improvised explosive device exploded near him. The force caused an injury to his brain.

Harris was awarded a Purple Heart on April 15, 2011.

"James came home with a Purple Heart and a head full of confusion," Marr said. "Many soldiers come home as James did with internal scars and injuries you can't see."

Harris said coping with the injury has been a slow process.

"The first couple years were chaotic," he said. "Now I'm progressing well. Some of my memory is gone. My mom and my fiancée help me remember things."

To help with his therapy, Veterans Administration doctors recommended that Harris receive a service dog. The family didn't have the money to make that happen.

Earlier this month, Harris' mother, Sherri Page, reached out to leaders with the Valley Center American Legion post who donated some money and steered the family toward the national office.

American Legion's Operation Comfort Warriors program stepped in to help, quickly providing all of the resources the family needed to get Sky.

"We're the American Legion family," Marr said. "For our wounded warriors and veterans, we'll do whatever it takes."

Operation Comfort Warriors is designed to provide non-essential items not usually supplied by the government, Marr said, with "no red tape."

Harris was given a chance to pick out a dog. So when he heard about the trouble Sky had gone through, he chose her.

"He was asked, ‘Why did you pick that one? That one has the most issues,'" Marr said. "He said, ‘So do I. We're a perfect match."

Toney Turner, owner of Complete Canine and senior trainer with the company's non-profit division of Midwest Battle Buddies, was called in to help with the project.

Turner said Sky will be trained to help Harris cope with PTSD.

"When a soldier gets to a point where the stress level is too high, the dog will either bump him, lick his face or do something to pull them out of what they're envisioning and get them to focus on their dog," Turner said.

Tuner also is hopeful that Sky will provide additional service to Harris.

"We're hoping that she bonds close enough with him to be a seizure alert dog," Turner said. "Unfortunately, we can't teach them to detect the onset of it. We can only teach the alert for it. If a dog is bonded enough with the soldier, they can sense it before it happens and give an alert."

Turner is waiting for Sky's tail to heal before starting the training process. She will go through obedience work and testing to be certified as a service animal.

Turner, who is also a military veteran, said he is honored to train Sky.

"I have a lot of family that are veterans, and I couldn't imagine them going off and coming back and having these demons that they're fighting and they feel like they're fighting alone," Turner said.

Page said Sky will give her some peace of mind.

"That was the biggest thing for me was his safety, to relax and to know there's someone there to look after him," she said. "I think Sky seems to be the perfect fit for him. I'm just happy for him. He's been through a lot."

Page also is a U.S. Army veteran. She now works at the Veterans Administration hospital in Wichita as a prosthetics clerk.

"There's always that connection and we look out for each other," Page said of veterans. "We've got each other's back. It makes you feel good and proud to be an American."

Harris said he was overwhelmed by the support he received from the American Legion as well as others in the community.

"I never expected any of this at all," he said. "It gives me a great feeling and touches me at the bottom of my heart that everyone showed up here. It's a really good feeling."

Harris, 26, has been out of the military for two years. He and his fiancée plan to move to Whitewater soon, where they will have enough room for their two children — Jesse, 2, and 6-year-old Kaedyn — and the new addition: Sky.

"They're each other's saving grace," Washburn said. "She came from a pretty neglected life, and he's just going to give her so much love and affection. He's going to be her battle buddy. … It's been a long time coming, and he deserves it."