Harvey Nicholas Banks, Jr.

It is with great sadness, but also with gratitude for a life well lived, that we announce the passing of Harvey Nicholas Banks Jr., who passed away on August 12, 2026, at the age of 81. 

Harvey was born on December 13, 1944, in Bridgeport, Texas, to Harvey Banks Sr. and Madeline Alice (Shawn) Banks. He grew up in Bridgeport, where he graduated from high school before answering the call to serve his country by joining the United States Navy. Harvey served as a Navy Corpsman aboard the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany (CVA-34), affectionately known by her crew as the “Mighty O,” during some of the most consequential years of the Vietnam War. 

The USS Oriskany's story during Harvey's years in the Navy speaks to the extraordinary circumstances in which he and his fellow sailors served. The carrier deployed to the Western Pacific in 1963–64 and, as American involvement in Vietnam intensified, returned in 1965 to conduct combat operations off the Vietnamese coast. Her aircraft flew missions as part of Task Force 77 and Operation Rolling Thunder, striking heavily defended targets in North Vietnam. The Mighty O and her crew endured the dangers of combat operations, aircraft losses, and the daily risks that came with service aboard a wartime aircraft carrier. On October 26, 1966, tragedy struck the Oriskany when a magnesium parachute flare accidentally ignited, causing a devastating fire aboard the ship. Forty-four officers and sailors lost their lives. The carrier returned to the United States for extensive repairs, and in 1967 the Mighty O once again sailed for the Western Pacific and resumed operations off Vietnam. 

To have served as a Navy Corpsman in that place and time was to carry a special responsibility: caring for others when they were injured, sick, frightened, or far from home. Harvey's service aboard the Mighty O remained an important part of the story of his life and of a generation of Americans who answered their country's call, but Harvey was far more than his military service. He was a Christian, an animal lover, a beloved uncle and great-uncle, and a man blessed with a wonderful sense of humor. Those who knew Harvey will remember his ability to make people laugh, his love for animals, his faith, and the character of a man who had witnessed difficult chapters of history yet never lost his humor or his capacity to care. 

Harvey was preceded in death by his parents, Harvey Banks Sr. and Madeline Alice (Shawn) Banks, and his beloved sister, Mary Alice (Banks) Rolison.

He is survived by his loving nieces, Alice Lorraine Rolison and Erica Michelle (Rolison) Green; his grandnieces, Kirsten (Rolison) Bunch and Brianna McAndrews; and his grandnephew, Ethan Green. 

Harvey leaves behind a legacy of faith, family, service, laughter, and love. His was a life that stretched from a small Texas town to the deck of an aircraft carrier at war and, ultimately, into the hearts and memories of the family who loved him. 

Fair winds and following seas, Harvey. 

Your watch is over. 

Your duty is done. 

You served with honor, and you will not be forgotten. 

Graveside memorial service to be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 29th at Willow Point Cemetery.

Hawkins Funeral Home Bridgeport

940-683-2211

www.hawkinsfuneralhome.com