Harris, Taurean Travanti
Male
Verified Sgt. Taurean Travanti Harris, 22, of Liberty, Mississippi, was a U.S. Army intelligence soldier. He died on August 2, 2007, in the Tarin Kowt (Titan) Valley of Afghanistan.
Their Story
Taurean Travanti Harris was born on March 5, 1985, in Liberty, Mississippi. He enlisted in the United States Army and was assigned as a signals intelligence analyst to Company A, 202nd Military Intelligence Battalion, based at Fort Gordon, Georgia. He deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
On August 2, 2007, Harris was part of a mounted patrol in the Tarin Kowt District of Uruzgan province, an area often referred to as the Tarin Kowt or 'Titan' Valley. The patrol's vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device (IED). The blast killed Harris and wounded another soldier. He was 22 years old.
Harris's death occurred during a period of intense fighting in southern Afghanistan. Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign, had begun in October 2001 following the 9/11 attacks. By 2007, Taliban insurgents had significantly increased their use of IEDs, which became the leading cause of coalition casualties.
According to the Department of Defense, Harris was posthumously promoted from Specialist to Sergeant. He was survived by his mother, father, and siblings. His body was returned to the United States for burial.
Sgt. Harris is memorialized on the Afghanistan War Memorial at Fort Gordon and on online veterans' memorials. His name is listed on Panel 21E, Line 111 of the Afghanistan Conflict Memorial Wall at the National Infantry Museum.
Explore Further
Sgt. Harris was killed during Operation Enduring Freedom (2001–2014). The conflict concluded in December 2014. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.
Among those documented in the same conflict: Andrews, Evander Earl, Edmunds, Jonn Joseph, Stonesifer, Kristofor Tif, Davis, Bryant Leroy.
