Patrick Harper, a Commander for the United States Public Health Service, describes his experience being stationed with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention at the Illinois Department of Public Health. He began his appointment in November of 2019 and by March of 2020 he was working in whatever capacity was necessary to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus. He outlines in detail his experiences being deployed to Chicago and Detroit as well as the work he did in Springfield, Illinois. He begins with March of 2020 and details the events up to the point of the interview, November 19, 2021.
Interview Links
Feature Excerpt
Harper describes the way morale was boosted during his first in-person COVID-19 deployment.
Abstract
Interview Session 1 (Audio)
Early life, career, and start of COVID-19 pandemic
Interview Session 2 (Audio)
Pandemic experiences from May of 2020 to November of 2021
Photos
Caption: Vernon Nagel, Harper’s grandfather, in his official service photo. He was a Water Tender in the Coast Guard during World War II.
Where: N/A
When: 1943
Ownership: May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator.
Caption: Patrick Harper and his grandfather, Vernon Nagel, who was a Coast Guard veteran in World War II. Harper credits him with the reason he wanted to serve in uniform.
Where: Nashville, IL
When: 2015
Ownership: Narrator’s photo.
Caption: Patrick Harper with his wife, Erica, son Finnegan and daughter Adelyn.
Where: Chicago, IL
When: 2019
Ownership: Narrator’s photo.
Caption: The entire team from the Community Based Testing Site gathered for a photo in Harwood Heights, Chicago, Illinois in May 2020.
Where: Harwood Heights, Chicago, Illinois
When: May 2020
Ownership: May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator.
Caption: Harper, center, stands with the leadership team at the Community Based Testing Site in Harwood Heights, Chicago, Illinois. From left to right stands Deputy District Chief Francisco Velez of the Chicago Fire Department, First Lieutenant Sonia Gonzalez of the Illinois Army National Guard, Lieutenant Commander Ryan Marie Smith of the USPHS, Commander Patrick Harper of the USPHS, Lieutenant Colonel Brian Gahan of the Illinois Air National Guard, Pat Schey of RescUSA, and Pat Maloney of RescUSA
Where: Harwood Heights, Chicago, Illinois
When: May 2020
Ownership: May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator.
Caption: The entire Ford Field Vaccination Site team on the day of demobilization
Where: Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
When: May 2021
Ownership: May be restricted. Patrons desiring to use this photograph should contact the ALPL Audio-Visual Curator.