Michael Harries
Teacher, Partner and Great Friend
by J Bartell
After one assignment that went bad, Chauncey Holt set me up to meet and train with Michael Harries so that I could be well prepared for any future contingency.
Michael was a former marine. There are no ex-marines. He was short and round and was one of the toughest men I have ever known. Since I had training in martial arts, Michael started off teaching me the use of small arms. After I became good enough with Michael’s and my favorite, the 1911 .45 caliber semi-automatic he began teaching me how to work with rifles and shotguns. After that came explosives and other miscellaneous weapons. Through all the weapons training he would teach me about tactics.
Michael was a wonderful person. Always had a nice, easy smile. But when he had to, he could be a very dangerous man to come up against. To help me with my weapons training Michael had me join an organization that put on combat shooting competitions. In fact, it became very popular. I spent about 7 years competing in order to exercise some of the skills Michael had taught me. This later became another nice cover when traveling outside of California and the country.
The use of weapons came quite easily to me. So what started out as basic training with a handgun grew into feeling confident with many weapons for many uses.
Over time my duties went from courier work to more serious matters.
Shortly after the beginning of my relationship with Chauncey and Michael, we decided to develop a method of communication that would allow us to talk about assignments without worrying too much about being understood by others who might overhear. That’s how the name “231 Club” came about. 231, by the way, was the name of the gunpowder we used for loading our .45 ammo.
From about the mid-seventies to the late eighties, I went on dozens of assignments. Some alone, some with just Michael or just Chauncey, and sometimes with both. We would deliver documents, small packages, weapons, money and discipline those who we were told needed it.
Michael, best known for creating the Harries Flashlight Technique,
had a special fondness for the Mistress of the Dark, Elvira.
J Bartell, Michael and Chuck Ries and
in the background “The War Wagon.”