Lt. Gen. Field Harris was born near Versailles in 1895, graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1917; and was commissioned in the Marine Corps as a Second Lieutenant. Over the course of his career, he was instrumental in the creation of the Marine Corps approach to aviation combat. His approach was that air units were a part of the Nation's air-ground-sea team.

In 1953, General Harris retired and returned to Kentucky. He served as librarian of the Kentucky Law Library in Frankfort for ten years. General Harris passed away in 1967.

In addition to the four Legion of Merit awards, General Harris also received the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the Army Distinguished Service Medal, a Bronze Star, an Air Medal, and the Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.