
Harry Benjamin Futch was born on June 13, 1928 in the great city of Hialeah, Florida. His family, who had come from Southern Georgia, settled in the Allapattah section of Miami, which was sometimes referred to by locals as "God's Country". He completed his primary studies at Buena Vista Elementary and Robert E. Lee Jr. High before graduating from Miami Jackson High School in 1946.
After graduation, Harry decided to enlist in the military to see the world. He choose the Air Force, perhaps because of the strong military aviation activity in the Greater Miami area at the time. He went through training and became an excellent aircraft mechanic and flight engineer. Harry soon found himself involved in the Korean Conflict, flying dangerous missions all over Southeast Asia. For the next 15 years he served on various installations around the globe including bases in Japan and Saudi Arabia. In the mid 1960's, Harry returned home to the United States to serve as a Air Force Recruiter. He was stationed in the Bronx Borough of New York City, just down the street from Yankee Stadium. By 1967 his services as a flight engineer were needed once more, this time in Vietnam. Again, Harry found himself flying hazardous missions during this controversial war. He received the Bronze Star for his heroism during North Vietnamese TET Offensive in January of 1968. As his Tour of Duty in Southeast Asia was coming to an end, Harry decided to retire after 25 years of service. He finished out his Air Force Career in Germany and Norway before retiring with full honors as a Master Sergeant in 1970.
Harry returned to his hometown of Miami and soon went to work as a Technician for the U.S. Postal Service. In 1977 he met and married the love of his life, the former Marjorie Marden. The two met in the exotic city of Opa Locka, Florida, which contributed to the strength and keen romance of their marriage. He retired from the Post Office in 1990, but still felt young and energetic. He looked for another job to occupy his time which led him into a lucrative Sports Merchandising career selling the retail and memorabilia products of the Florida Marlins, Miami Heat and Florida Panthers. These were exciting times for Harry as he worked the inaugural seasons of the Marlins and Panthers as well as many other events at Joe Robbie Stadium and the National Rent-A-Car Center.