Heroes with Humble Hearts - Upcoming Podcast Guest Danny Harris

It never ceases to amaze me when I meet another service member that has put their life on the line for not only their communities and nation, but their families as well and the humility of character that is paired with courage and bravery.

Our upcoming podcast guest, Danny Harris is one of those heroes. Coming from a family line of Marines and service members who not only served in World War II & Vietnam but were men of strong character serving a purpose higher than themselves and showing up in life.

Read the following excerpt below to learn more about Danny Harris as he tells part of his origin story and they man of faith and service he is. 

My name is Daniel Kenneth Harris. My father was a marine, as well as his father before him. Both of them saw combat. My grandfather fought on Guadalcanal canal during WWII, and my father, Vietnam. They were humble heroes, speaking very little of what they went through. 

Some how, they managed to allow their experiences to shape them into men of strong character. Their example was invaluable to me and greatly contributed to my path to become a firefighter. Growing up I was raised to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. 

In retrospect I believe that those teachings also played a huge role in my decision to become a firefighter. As a teen, I toyed with the idea of making movies, being a professional snowboarder, or maybe even becoming a pilot in the Navy. Ultimately it was my affinity for danger, love of helping others and a desire for lots of time off that lead me to peruse a career in the fire service.

I spent 8 years as a firefighter/paramedic working full time for Orem City Utah. During that same time I spent 1 year part time with Unified Fire Authority, and a handful of part time years with Pleasant Grove City. I have a Bachelors degree from UVU in public service and emergency management. I was a nationally certified paramedic. I was ADO, Fire Instructor and Fire Officer certified and I was a certified instructor for the AHA.

I met my beautiful wife right as my career started. When I met her she was finishing her undergrad at BYU with the goal of becoming a dentist. While we didn’t know what the future held, I kept plugging away at my fire career knowing that someday I might leave it to help my wife and family find the best opportunities as a dentist. By the time I left, It didn’t make sense to continue my path as a firefighter, so I left to stay home with the kids. I also currently help with the management of our dental practice.

I’m still an adrenaline junkie, following after passions like diving, spearfishing, surfing, skating etc. and I still have the opportunity to serve my community through different positions I’ve held in my local church congregation.

I cried 3 times in my Career: the day I was hired, the day I realized how to truly love the people I treated/served and the day I left my brothers. One message I would share about Hope and resilience has to do with the second time I cried in my career. I found that everyone has a story, everyone is going through something and that losing yourself in the service of others, truly caring about what they are experiencing and doing what you can to help, can make your own burdens feel lighter. It can also heighten your personal awareness, alerting you to behaviors that can entrap you. I learned that it can spark an untapped gratitude within you, helping you to live a rich and full life.

Stay tuned for this soon to be released upcoming episode. Follow this link and be sure to follow for new episodes coming soon.