The 8th of November–a song about a South Dakota hero. On November 8, 1965, during Operation Hump in Vietnam, South Dakota native Niles Harris of the 173rd Airborne Brigade was among those ambushed by more than 1,200 enemy troops. Many American soldiers lost their lives that day. Wounded in battle, Niles survived thanks to the courage of Army medic Lawrence Joel, who went on to earn the Medal of Honor. After serving 25 years in the U.S. Army, Niles Harris returned home to South Dakota, where his