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<i>Giles Dexter Harlow Jr. </i><font size="2">was born in May 1932, in Wadena, MN, the son of Giles and Ella Johnson Harlow. He spent most of his early childhood in Park Rapids, MN, and graduated from high school in Worthington, MN, where he was a standout athlete, musician, and scholar. Giles followed many of his athletic friends who signed up for the Minnesota National Guard in order to get the two dollars a month pay, never anticipating North Korea would invade South Korea the very month they graduated from high school.</font></p>
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<font size="2">During his freshman year at the University of Minnesota, his National Guard unit was activated for service in Korea. Between his airborne and ranger training, he received his appointment to West Point but generously gave up his principal appointment to the Minnesota alternate, who would have been too old to attend the following year. On the ground in Korea, he looked to the skies and thought those pilots will probably be home for dinner tonight and decided then that was his future. Upon completion of his service in Korea, he accepted a second appointment to West Point, proudly graduating with the Class of 1957. As a cadet he played soccer and lacrosse and was a member of the ski and golf clubs. He sang in the Cadet Chapel Choir and was cadet director of the Glee Club. He married Ann Quackenbush the day after graduation, and they embarked on a wonderful adventure of life and love. He later was awarded master’s degrees from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.</font></p>
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<font size="2">His distinguished U.S. Air Force career spanned 30 years starting in the Strategic Air Command as a KC-135 pilot at Altus AFB and Westover AFB. It was during one of his weeklong alert duties that Giles was commended for saving a row of fuel-loaded tankers after one caught fire, threatening the other five planes. He and his aircraft commander quickly moved their plane, the next in line, ending the danger. Following graduate school he was an intelligence officer at PACAF, Hawaii. From there he volunteered for service in Vietnam and was shot down on his 97th mission in an RF-101 Voodoo over North Vietnam. He was rescued by a Vietnamese fisherman and was safely recovered by the U.S. Navy. He proceeded to the United Air Force Academy as an instructor in the political science department. Following that tour he attended the National War College, after which he volunteered for a second tour in Southeast Asia, commanding an RF-4 Phantom squadron in Udorn, Thailand. He returned to Washington for a tour in OSD, working on strategic arms reductions talks. He proceeded to become Director of Operations and Vice Wing Commander at Bergstrom AFB, TX, and the Wing Commander at Vance AFB, OK. After a return to PACAF, Giles finished his career at the National Defense University. His commendations included the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, and Purple Heart.</font></p>
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<font size="2">Following several years as a principal policy analyst with EAI Corporation, he spent his retirement traveling the world with his wife of 55 years, Ann Quackenbush Harlow. He split his time between their home in McLean, VA, and their summer cabins on the banks of the Neversink River in Claryville, NY. It was there he indulged his love of fly fishing and carpentry. When he wasn’t tinkering with his treasures he accumulated in his hand-built barns, he was serving as a volunteer fireman with the Claryville fire department. He took great pleasure in driving the old fire trucks and was one of the few firemen who could handle the double clutch. Everyone always knew Giles was in town when they heard the rumbling sound of his 1953 Jeep Willys. He was the first to lend a helping hand and the last to ever ask for anything in return. His time in Virginia was filled as a member of the West Point Alumni Glee Club, performing with fellow classmates all over the Washington, DC, metro area. He also served as a vestryman at St. John’s Episcopal Church in McLean, VA, and sang for more than 30 years in the church choir. </font></p>
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<font size="2">His greatest joy in his life was his family, including his two sons, who followed him into the U.S. Air Force, and two daughters and their families. Giles and Ann spent a lot of time visiting their children and seven grandchildren around the country, going on family trips together or hosting them all at the family cabins. </font></p>
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<font size="2">Giles was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2005. He faced this debilitating disease with calm dignity, and never lost his wonderful disposition. His earnest cheerfulness and positive demeanor helped him and the family cope while facing his loss of mobility. In his final days, his daughter Sarah would play the West Point "Alma Mater" on her phone and hold it to his ear as it brought a smile to his face as he mouthed the words and tried his best to sing along. He was an officer and a gentleman to the end. A few days later, the West Point Alumni Glee Club sang that same song at his memorial service held at St. John’s Episcopal Church. Giles’ final ride was in his beloved Jeep to his eternal resting place at the Claryville Reformed Church cemetery in July 2013, not far from Neversink River. There his wife and four children said their goodbyes, with his son Douglas summing it up best: "Well done Dad, well done."</font></p>
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<font size="2"><i>— Sarah Harlow Pooler</i></font></p>