The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the article below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was delete. MBisanz ^talk 22:54, 11 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Joshua T. Harris[edit]

Joshua T. Harris (edit | talk | history | protect | delete | links | watch | logs | views) (delete) – (View log)

Non-notable service casualty. While I'm sure he served honorably, he received no major decorations - despite the links describing him as "highly decorated," he topped out with a Bronze Star - and fulfills no elements of WP:BIO. Prod removed by creator with a bare "Josh Harris meets Basic and some Additional criteria of WP:BIO." Wikipedia is still not a memorial.  RGTraynor  18:17, 6 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The death was notable enough to be covered by the Washington Post and New York Daily News. The third footnote in the article links to an article that list at least 13 medals that were awarded. The article does meet the basic criteria and an additional criteria of WP:BIO. The article was notable enough to receive a class promotion from an established editor. This article doesn't fit any of the reasons for deletion listed on WP:DELETE. Out (talk) 19:36, 6 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

• Those would be WP:BIO and WP:NOT. As far as the mass of medals awarded, most of them are service ribbons and medals that every soldier in-theater receives; "highly decorated" is a term far more often reserved for the Medal of Honor, the Navy Cross or the DSM. As far as the coverage, it was much the same as awarded to most battle deaths in the Middle East these days, and I question whether Harris would have received as much as he did were it not for the erroneous presumption that he was the 500th battle death in Afghanistan.  RGTraynor  20:10, 6 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The WP:BIO criteria does not require a "mass of medals". Is the Bronze Star not a notable award? Apparently most of the medals awarded were notable enough to have articles on wikipedia. The words "highly decorated" don't even appear in the article but 17 service medals is considered highly decorated. I hope we come to consensus based on wiki policy and reliable sources and not one editors speculation that is based purely on opinion. RGTraynor I suggest you take your own advice and "take five minutes to follow up a few Google hits and realize the genuine notability of the subject." The article meets policy requirements and the sources are reliable. There really isn't much to discuss about this article. Out (talk) 20:49, 6 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

• Keep I expected to see the traditional memorial page -- born, enlisted, died in service to his county, and little more -- but found a reasonably-thorough and well-sourced biography of someone who was not the typical deceased soldier. Harris' art background and the display of his work at notable sites, covered by reliable and verifiable sources, establishes notability above and beyond a memorial page. The multiple reliable and verifiable sources about Harris as a person from a broad range of sources across the country satisfies the Wikipedia:Notability standard. Alansohn (talk) 20:27, 6 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]
• Delete. Sad story, but none the less not notable. Proxy User (talk) 21:30, 6 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Can you elaborate a little please? Out (talk) 00:04, 7 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

• Delete. This is a traditional memorial page. Sad, but since a Silver Star doesn't confer automatic notability, neither would a lower decoration, and one art exhibition doesn't do it either. Clarityfiend (talk) 23:18, 6 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

How did you decide that a Silver Star or a Bronze Star were not notable awards? Are Valor devices not notable either? Out (talk) 00:04, 7 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Tens of thousands of Bronze Stars get awarded.  RGTraynor  03:06, 7 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Comment. Nobody said the awards weren't notable, just the awardees if their notability primarily depends on them. I didn't pull this out of a hat. It appears to be the consensus. I recall someone with a much higher award being Afd'd. Clarityfiend (talk) 10:48, 7 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

• delete as per nom Masterhatch (talk) 05:15, 7 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]
• Delete. Although my heart goes out to Mr. Harris’ family and friends, he simply is not notable by WP:BIO standards. WP:BIO states, “a person is presumed to be notable if he or she has been the subject of published secondary source material which is reliable, intellectually independent, and independent of the subject.” With the exception of Mr. Harris’ obituary, there is no published material available about him (results). As far as his artwork goes - the only mention of that is in the obituary; I cannot find evidence of it anywhere else. The Bronze Star is his highest commendation; the rest are majoritively awards granted to anyone who has been in a particular theatre of operations. The Bronze Star itself ranks just above the Purple Heart and as such does not make Mr. Harris notable; thousands are awarded every year. Sabes3 Chatty? 06:18, 7 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]
• Delete While a tragic story. He does not meet WP:BIO. -Djsasso (talk) 14:16, 7 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]
• Delete while tragic this does not meet WP:BIO and Wikipedia is not a memorial wiki either. coccyx bloccyx_(toccyx) 18:11, 7 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.