Harold Harvey was born on August 27, 1927, in Deer Park, Maryland. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces on November 15, 1945, and was trained as an Air Evacuation Technician. Sgt Harvey served as a pararescueman in the Continental United States from May 1946 to August 1955, and then served with the 38th Air Rescue Squadron in Japan from August 1955 to February 1956. His next assignment was as a pararescueman with the 43rd Air Rescue Squadron at McChord AFB, Washington, from February to November 1956, followed by service with the 41st Air Rescue Squadron at Hamilton AFB, California, from November 1956 to September 1957. Sgt Harvey served as a pararescueman with the 55th Air Rescue Squadron at Kindley AFB, Bermuda, from September 1957 to October 1958, and then back with the 41st Air Rescue Squadron at Hamilton AFB from October 1958 to March 1960. His next assignment was with the 1608th Air Terminal Squadron at Charleston AFB, South Carolina, from April 1960 to May 1961, followed by service as a pararescueman and as NCOIC of the Pararescue Section with the 67th Air Rescue Squadron at Prestwick, Scotland, from June 1961 to July 1963. MSgt Harvey served as a pararescueman and as NCOIC of the Pararescue Section with the 48th Air Rescue Squadron at Eglin AFB, Florida, from July 1963 to April 1965, and then with the 54th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron at Goose AB, Labrador, from April 1965 to March 1967. His next assignment was as a pararescueman and NCOIC of the Pararescue Section with the 48th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron at Eglin AFB from March 1967 to July 1969, followed by service as NCOIC of the Pararescue Section with the 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron at Da Nang AB, South Vietnam, from July 1969 to August 1970. He then served as the Standardization Pararescue Technician with the Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Training Center at Eglin AFB from August 1970 to July 1971, and during this time he served as a pararescueman on the HH-53 Jolly Green Giant "Apple One" during the Son Tay Raid, a clandestine mission to rescue American Prisoners of War in North Vietnam on November 21, 1970. MSgt Harvey served as NCOIC of the Pararescue Section with the 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron at Da Nang AB, South Vietnam, from July 1971 to February 1972, and then with the 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron at Nakon Phanom Royal Thai AFB, Thailand, from February 1972 until his retirement from the Air Force on August 1, 1972. Harold Harvey died on May 7, 1999.

His Silver Star Citation reads:

Master Sergeant Harold W. Harvey distinguished himself by gallantry as a volunteer in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United States during the Prisoner of War search and rescue operation at Son Tay, North Vietnam, on 21 November 1970. On that date, Sergeant Harvey, as a Paramedic/Gunner in a helicopter carrying part of the ground rescue party, flew deep into the heart of enemy territory in a bold night attempt to rescue American Prisoners of War. His accurate fire on a critical enemy threat was to a great extent responsible for the protection of the rescue party and for the complete confusion and disorganization among the enemy. Following the pickup of the rescue team and while the helicopter was under surface-to-air missile attack, he administered medical attention to the wounded and injured troops. The personal skill and extreme courage displayed by Sergeant Harvey during this heroic rescue attempt contributed immeasurably to the ultimate effectiveness and tactical success of the mission. By his gallantry and devotion to duty, Sergeant Harvey has reflected great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.