SalemNews.com, Salem, MA

SWAMPSCOTT - The little green house sits at the bottom of a gentle hill. Next to the driveway is an American flag at half-staff. Taped to the front door is a yellow sheet of paper: "Please Respect Our Privacy."

Inside the house yesterday, a family mourned the death of a daughter - a daughter this town loved.

U.S. Marine Capt. Jennifer Harris, 28, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, was killed Wednesday while piloting a CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter northwest of Baghdad. Killed along with her were four Marines and two U.S. Navy sailors. The crash remains under investigation.

She was the only child of Raymond and Rosalie Harris of Elwin Street.

After three tours of duty in Iraq, Harris was due home next week, according to Jim Schultz, the town's veterans' agent and a fellow Marine.

"She always wanted to fly," he said, "and was always up for a challenge. ... She was definitely driven."

Harris' family held a press conference yesterday morning at VFW Post 1240. Standing in a small room near a memorial to Jared Raymond of Swampscott, a 20-year-old Army specialist killed five months ago in Iraq, her uncle, Anthony Macone, read a brief statement.

"Jennifer Harris exemplified the best of what this country has to offer," he said. "She was proud to be a Marine and proud to serve her country. At 28 years of age, she did more than most people ever do."

Harris was mourned at Swampscott High School, where she graduated fifth in the class of 1996; at the town library, where she worked for three years as a page; at the VFW post, where she was honored more than a year ago; and by classmates scattered across the country who remember a smiling, selfless friend.

"Jen had so much greatness ahead of her, and it breaks my heart that she came so very, very close to finishing her third tour," Angela Paradise, a close friend, wrote in an e-mail. "I was thrilled when I last heard from Jen that she would soon be coming home to begin her job as a Marine officer instructor at George Washington University in Washington, D.C."

Pride and joy

There was nothing average about Harris, friends and town officials said. She was a straight-A student who chose to go to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., after also being admitted to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

"I think she could have written her own ticket," Schultz said.

She was so respected by her high school classmates that she won both citizenship awards her senior year.

"Jen Harris did not seek a lot of attention," said Peter Sack, the former Swampscott High principal. "She got a lot of attention because she was that good; she was that outstanding."

She was a giver, friends said, who thought of others before herself.

She got involved in the Toys for Local Children program at Swampscott High, which distributed presents to poor children during the holidays. Later, she began her own Toys for Local Children program in Annapolis - but never forgot Swampscott.

"She would send a check every year like clockwork," said Allen Shapiro, a retired Swampscott High history teacher who started the program.

The Police Department sent Harris a care package recently. Last week, the officers received a gift in return - military T-shirts and two U.S. flags that flew over her squadron's headquarters in Iraq.

Harris also was a devoted daughter. As a young girl, she helped her mother, who has multiple sclerosis and uses a wheelchair. She was her father's pride and joy.

"Whenever I would run into him, he would take a picture of Jen out of his wallet," said Janet Cook, a former Machon School teacher.

Cook said she was touched when Harris made National Honor Society and named Cook, her former elementary school teacher, as someone who inspired her. On a bureau at home, the retired teacher has a photo of Harris and two classmates.

"I just treasure it," she said.

A dangerous job

Many people who knew Harris, an ever-smiling, bright student, were surprised when she chose Annapolis, more surprised when she joined the Marines and even more surprised when she chose to fly helicopters on dangerous missions.

"One of those challenges would be enough for an average person," Schultz said. "She chose three."

"She wasn't like a super jock type," Library Director Alice Deveau said. "When she started (the Naval Academy), she had to go early and I think they made them do basic training. I remember her coming home and saying how hard it was. At that time, kids dropped out because they couldn't make it through that phase. She wasn't like super strong. I think she was just so determined. She wanted to do it."

Andrew Roland, 30, a friend and former Marine, grew up across the street. He remembers a bright, pretty little girl who wasn't a tomboy but also wasn't afraid of the neighborhood boys.

"She was just very strong," he said. "She really didn't have a lot of fear."

He would joke with her about the Navy versus the Marines and was surprised by her ultimate choice. "When I heard she was going into the Marines, it really threw me for a loop."

Roland knew enough about the Marines to know that Harris had a dangerous job. The helicopter she flew was used to transport or resupply troops and to rescue injured troops, he said. "She probably flew a variety of missions, all of them vital to what the Marines required on the ground."

Roland believes big things were ahead for the girl across the street. "I figured she eventually would end up (with a career) in the Marines and maybe reaching general status. She just seemed to be doing really well."

It seems everyone who knew Harris saw great things ahead.

"I have two sons," said Sack, the former principal. "If I had a daughter, I'd want her to be what Jen was - nothing but goodness. ... It's a tremendous loss not only for the Harris family, but for the town of Swampscott. She made us all very proud."

Funeral arrangements have not been announced.

Staff writer Mike Stucka contributed to this article.

'Passion for life'

Jennifer Harris' family released the following statement yesterday.

"Jennifer Harris exemplified the best of what this country has to offer. She was proud to be a Marine and proud to serve her country. At 28 years of age, she did more than most people ever do.

"She graduated at the top of her class at Swampscott High, went on to the United States Naval Academy and became a first-rate helicopter pilot. She had a passion for life and was a compassionate human being. Her family and friends miss her very much. We are all taking this very hard and wish some time to grieve in private. Thank you."