Robert Howard MOH 1939-2009

[marineamtracer]

Just in case others had not heard this...Robert Howard who was a CMH recipient and nominated for it three times none the less passed away today. He was 70.

Rest in Peace Col. Howard

Semper Fidelis and God Speed...

Colin

 

http://vinubuzz.com/robert-howard-medal-of...ard-bob-howard/

[LtRGFRANK]

Just saw it on the news. What a soldier he was wow. As they listed his records and medals he was awarded I couldn't help but think if his uniform showed up on E-Bay how many would attack it as being a put together fake as its unbelievable.

RIP Robert

[Devious6]

RIP COL(Ret.) Howard. We live free because of your Service to Nation.

[marineamtracer]

Just saw it on the news. What a soldier he was wow. As they listed his records and medals he was awarded I couldn't help but think if his uniform showed up on E-Bay how many would attack it as being a put together fake as its unbelievable.

RIP Robert

 

 

I thought the exact same thing!

[kriegsmodell]

Colonel Howard was/is truly awe inspiring. Below are his MOH citation and a link to a great tribute web site for Howard. Rest in peace warrior ......

 

HOWARD, ROBERT L.

 

Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces

 

Place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 30 December 1968

 

Entered service at: Montgomery, Alabama

 

Born: 11 July 1939, Opelika, Alabama

 

Citation:

 

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. 1st Lt. Howard (then SFC.), distinguished himself while serving as platoon sergeant of an American-Vietnamese platoon which was on a mission to rescue a missing American soldier in enemy controlled territory in the Republic of Vietnam. The platoon had left its helicopter landing zone and was moving out on its mission when it was attacked by an estimated 2-company force. During the initial engagement, 1st Lt. Howard was wounded and his weapon destroyed by a grenade explosion. 1st Lt. Howard saw his platoon leader had been wounded seriously and was exposed to fire. Although unable to walk, and weaponless, 1st Lt. Howard unhesitatingly crawled through a hail of fire to retrieve his wounded leader. As 1st Lt. Howard was administering first aid and removing the officer's equipment, an enemy bullet struck 1 of the ammunition pouches on the lieutenant's belt, detonating several magazines of ammunition. 1st Lt. Howard momentarily sought cover and then realizing that he must rejoin the platoon, which had been disorganized by the enemy attack, he again began dragging the seriously wounded officer toward the platoon area. Through his outstanding example of indomitable courage and bravery, 1st Lt. Howard was able to rally the platoon into an organized defense force. With complete disregard for his safety, 1st Lt. Howard crawled from position to position, administering first aid to the wounded, giving encouragement to the defenders and directing their fire on the encircling enemy. For 3 1/2 hours 1st Lt. Howard's small force and supporting aircraft successfully repulsed enemy attacks and finally were in sufficient control to permit the landing of rescue helicopters. 1st Lt. Howard personally supervised the loading of his men and did not leave the bullet-swept landing zone until all were aboard safely. 1st Lt. Howard's gallantry in action, his complete devotion to the welfare of his men at the risk of his life were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.

 

http://rlhtribute.com/

[kriegsmodell]

An additional account of the action for which Colonel Howard was awarded the MoH. This appears in Peter Collier's Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty. I am at work and can't check my references but if memory serves me the wounded Lieutenant is Robert Scheridan.

 

ROBERT L. HOWARD

Sergeant first Class, U.S. Army 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces

 

Robert Howard was seventeen years old when he joined the Army in 1956. His father and four uncles had been paratroopers in World War II, and he followed in their footsteps, joining the 101st Airborne. In 1965, during the first of his five tours of duty in Vietnam, he was wounded when a ricocheting bullet hit him in the face. While recuperating in a field hospital, he met a patient who was in the Special Forces. When the man’s commanding officer visited, he sized Howard up, then talked him into transferring to the Special Forces. In 1966, after six months of training in the States, Howard returned to Vietnam as part of the 5th Special Forces Group. By late 1968, he had already been recommended for the Medal of Honor on two separate occasions when, on the afternoon of December 28, his unit was ordered to rescue a wounded Green Beret. As the choppers carrying his platoon of American and Vietnamese Special Forces tried to land, the enemy opened fire. It took two hours for Howard and his men to clear the landing zone and get all the troops in. By dusk, as they were moving forward to a hill where they thought the wounded Green Beret might be hiding, a force of about 250 North Vietnamese suddenly attacked. Howard and his lieutenant were at the head of the platoon when a claymore mine went off nearby. Howard was knocked unconscious; when he came to, he thought he was blind, until he realized that the blood from wounds on his face had gotten into his eyes. His hands were mangled by shrapnel, which had also destroyed his weapon. He could hear his lieutenant groaning in pain a few yards away, and he was almost overcome by a sickening odor: An enemy soldier with a Soviet flamethrower was burning the bodies of Howard’s comrades killed in the attack. Deciding to blow himself up rather than be incinerated, too, Howard struggled to get a grenade off his web belt, then fumbled with the pin. The soldier with the flamethrower watched him for a moment, then walked away. Howard threw the grenade after him, then crawled to his lieutenant and tried to pull him down the hill into a ravine where the surviving Americans and South Vietnamese had taken refuge. When he got the officer down to a large tree root, where another GI had taken shelter, he screamed at the soldier to hand over his weapon. The soldier tossed him his .45 pistol, then opened fire himself with his rifle, killing three enemy soldiers who were trying to capture Howard and his lieutenant. At that moment an NVA round struck Howard’s ammunition pouch, blowing him several feet down the hill. Still clutching the .45, he crawled back to the lieutenant, shooting several North Vietnamese along the way, and finally dragged him down to the ravine. Howard took charge of the remaining Special Forces troops, then called in U.S. air strikes. For the next two days the North Vietnamese probed his position. On the morning of December 31, U.S. helicopters were finally able to stage an evacuation. Two years later, in February 1971, Howard was a captain in charge of a Special Forces company under assault by the enemy when he got a call on a field telephone from General William Westmoreland. “We’re in pretty bad shape here,” Howard said, thinking the general had called to find out his situation. “Yeah, I know,” Westmoreland replied, “but we’re going to bring you out and give you the Medal of Honor.” Robert Howard received the medal from President Richard Nixon on March 2, 1971. He retired at the rank of colonel in 1992.

[kriegsmodell]

Attached are two shots of an autographed photograph of Colonel Howard from my collection. The print is a copy of a photgraph taken outside the CCC supply room at Kontum circa 1968-69. On the left is then SFC Robert L. Howard, with Captain Bobby G. Evans seated at the right. Taken probably during the time frame that Evans was the CO of A Company, Hatchet/Exploitation Force and Howard was NCOIC or XO of Recon Company at CCC. The Howard signature is in blue felt tip pen. There is also some writing in light ball point pen to the right of Evans' head but I am unable to make out what is says.

[bobgee]

Rest in Peace, Colonel!

:salute:

[MWalsh]

Colonel Howard and those he served with in Vietnam were amazing men who did amazing things. If you want to learn about him and what he / they did, read two books by Major John Plaster:

 

SOG: The Secret Wars of America's Commandos in Vietnam

 

and also

 

Secret Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines with the Elite Warriors of SOG

 

The books will have you in absolute awe of what they did in Vietnam, the vast majority of which went unrecognized by America as a whole.

 

If memory serves me right, at least one of Colonel Howard's Medal of Honor recommendations was not carried up the chain of command due to the pettiness of those about him. The Medal of Honor has not had a "multiple recipient" since the days of WW1 or so, Colonel Howard would have been a sterling example of one who could have qualified. Just thinking about all the wounds he suffered in Vietnam too... yet he kept going back for more and more.

 

RIP Colonel, you certainly earned that and more.

 

MW

[kriegsmodell]

Just pulled this from the Arlington National Cemetery web site. Amazing!!

 

Awards and Decorations

 

Medal of Honor

Distinguished Service Cross (with one oak leaf cluster)

Silver Star

Defense Superior Service Medal

Legion of Merit (with three oak leaf clusters)

Bronze Star (with three oak leaf clusters and "V" device)

Purple Heart (with a silver and two bronze oak leaf clusters)

Meritorious Service Medal (with two oak leaf clusters)

Air Medal (with "V" Device and numeral 3. One award for heroism and two for aerial achievement)

Joint Service Commendation

Army Commendation Medal (with "V" device and one each silver and bronze oak leaf clusters. 4 awards for valor and 3 for achievement)

Joint Service Achievement

Army Achievement

Good Conduct Medal, 4 Good Conduct Loops (4 awards)

National Defense Service Medal

Armed Forces Reserve Medal

Vietnam Service Medal

NCO Professional Development Ribbon with 2 device

Army Overseas Ribbon

Army Service Ribbon

Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, w/3 Service stars (3 awards)

Army Presidential Unit Citation, 1st Oak Leaf Cluster

Presidential Unit Citation (United States) 2001, Studies and Observations Group

Navy Unit Commendation

Army Meritorious Unit Citation

Foreign decorations

Vietnam Campaign Medal with 60 device

Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Gold Star (Corps citation)

Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star (Division citation)

Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Bronze Star (Regiment or Brigade citation)

Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal 2nd Award

Vietnam Wound Medal

Vietnam Civil Actions Medal 2nd Award

Vietnam Cross of Gallantry Unit Citation with Palm, 1st Oak Leaf Cluster (Unit citation)

Republic of Korea Order of National Security Merit (Samil Medal)

 

Badges, Qualifications and Tabs

 

Ranger Tab

Special Forces Tab

Combat Infantryman Badge

Aircrew Badge

Master Parachutist Badge

Pathfinder Badge

Air Assault Badge

Expert Infantryman's Badge

Vietnamese Ranger Badge

Vietnamese Master Parachute Badge

Thai Master Parachute Wings

Korean Master Parachute Badge

Thai Balloonist Badge

French Parachutist Badge

[4STARCHRIS]

This Christmas I loss a very good friend and comrade. I had know Col. Robert "Bob" Howard for over twenty years.

Over the years it had been my privilege to attend numerous functions with Col. Howard. He was always quite the gentleman and soldier.

I feel a great loss with his passing. The nation has lost a great warrior.

A nation mours your passing. Flags should be flow at half mast until his funeral out of respect. If you have a flag do this. If asked why, explain the contributions this great soldier made in the name of freedom. The sacrifice he made for his fellow soldier.

You no longer suffer from the cancer. The enemy from within, a common thread you and I shared.

Rest in peace my friend.

God speed.

4starchris