Retired Army Col. Robert L. Howard, 70, who died Wednesday in Waco, was a Medal of Honor winner who at the time of his death was believed to be the most-decorated living American soldier. Howard will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery...
Howard, who grew up in Opelika, Ala., enlisted in the Army in 1956 at the age of 17 and retired as a full colonel in 1992.
In Vietnam, he served in the U.S. Army Special Forces and spent most of his five tours in the secret Military Assistance Command, Vietnam-Studies and Observation Group, or MACV-SOG, which was an unconventional force whose members were assigned to deep-penetration reconnaissance and interdiction missions. He was nominated three times for the Medal of Honor, which he was awarded in 1971 for the rescue of a seriously wounded platoon leader who was under enemy fire...
COL Robert L. Howard - Tribute Website
COL Robert L. Howard - Wikipedia
COL Robert Howard's Medal Of Honor Citation - KWTX
Medal of Honor Series Video: COL Robert Howard - Pritzker Military Library
Obituary and Online Guest Book - OakCrest Funeral Home, Waco, Texas
Comments
David,
That is an excellent suggestion on many levels, not only would it give due tribute to the exceptional heroic and dedicated COL Howard, if done correctly it would give long overdue tribute and respect to our Vietnam Vets in general.
I actually think a series along the line of "The Brotherhood" for our SOG heroes would not only be a success in the media, but a long overdue apology from the far left in our country who are now enjoying the benefits of excessive capitalism. These are the same folks to Senator Webb mistakenly refers to as elites in his excellent article paying tribute to the Vietnam Vets (Sen Webb was not a Vietnam Vet, but earned the Navy Cross).
See this article at: http://vfwwebcom.org/va/post1033/108938/
Our special operations forces may be better equipped and paid today, but we dont hold a candle to what the heroes in SOG did during the Vietnam conflict. They all too often went in blind against all odds again and again, and from these fierce fights many legends were created, but unfortunately these legends are only known in small circles (circles that are getting smaller everyday). It is long overdue to set the record straight for our surviving Vietnam Vets and in a way apologize for the way war has been inaccurately presented by the media and academia. Bill
Alvin York and Audie Murphy both American heros that everyone knows about because of movies about thier war records. Now a movie needs to be done about Robert Howard. He should have already been known to all Americans. If not for John Plaster's SOG and a friend that knew both and loaned me SOG, I wouldn't know about him. Thank you Maj. (R) Plaster for touching on his story.
A one of kind warrior, we recently emailed about our son's and rotations to and from Middle East, he looked mine up, and I his.
Friends from 1968, When he was appointed to Cpt./Macrh of 1971 I think, he made sure he outdated me by one day so he would Rank me at Ground Training Committee, always the wiley one and great friend, it really mattered not.
We gave up the bottle together and kept accountable to that.
I will always retain of his spirit and warrior intensity in my BHG.
Bang-NHAY-DU
RIP
Bob C.
I met [then] Major Howard while attending the SF Officer Qualification Course in 1980 at Camp MaCall [now Camp Rowe]. He had a rule he told everyone to obey on day one. No cursing! If a team member was heard using inappropriate language, the entire team would be held accountable. An extra PT session during meal times wasn't welcome.
I spoke to him twice during the SFQ course. The first was while running the timed obstacle course near the end of week one. He was escorting several VIPs around the course and had watched as I had negotiated the vertical ladder station, quite adeptly. He called me over and asked how I could ascend the ladder so quickly? I told him I had just completed Air Assault School the month previously and was taught the proper technique. He told me to "do it again"! Without hesitation I negotiated the obstacle and sprinted off to finished the course.
The second time was right after finishing the night land navigation course. I had elected to pick up an additional point and headed back to camp, with time to spare. When I arrived, I discovered I'd lost my score card! I searched high and low, but w/o a punched card; failed the course. I was about to start the retest the next evening when MAJ Howard called me to his jeep. He told me an allied student found my card and had turned it in. He then told me I had passed the course and could return to camp for a hot meal.
He was a tough, demanding and fair officer who truly cared for his men and their welfare. His service is exemplary and one we should not allow to fade away.
I first met Col. Howard when he was Major Howard and the OIC of Special Forces School at Ft. Bragg NC. He was tough as nails and he expected anyone that graduated under his command to be equally as tough. I remember numerous PT runs in which he would run with the class wearing a Protective Mask (with filters in tact) laying waste to many potential SF students. Years later I had the privelege of sitting at his table at a Medal of Honor Convention in which we recalled such stories and he remembered with acute detail many of the tales told. He was truly a great American hero, mentor and role model to many of us in the SF community. Rest in Peace Sir.
Strongly recommend this video from the Pritzker Military Library to hear COL Howard describe many aspects of his life and experiences in his own words.
Here is the link to the 90 minute interview (video clip) from July 27, 2006:
http://www.pritzkermilitarylibrary.org/events/2006/07-27-robert-howard…
He answers the question: How did you become an officer? - "All the officers were killed" and he was taught as an NCO to take charge and continue the mission. The commander called on the radio and told him he was now in charge. Probably no better story to be related in the Year of the NCO.
Col Bob Howard and I served on the Combind Forces Command, USFK, EUSA Staff, South Korea, during the 1989-1991 timeframe. He was with SOC-K while I was in the C/J/G3 Division. During our four annual exercises, his very presence instilled confidence in our actions and abilities to completed those tasks related to the computer driven combat actions. I always felt his there was no way anyone could defeat us with him on our side. I was saddened to hear about his passing. May he be blessed by our Lord while he waits for his loved ones in heaven. I am sure he had a nice trip. Take care fighter and hope to join you in the future. Sincerely, Buck Buchanan
Thanks to John Plaster for writing about Mr. Howard. As a 50-year-old civilian (Dad was a disabled vet, so I got a free education), my generation had NO IDEA how heroic you guys were. How could we have NOT learned about y'all in school? (To the EVERLASTING SHAME of the public school system in the U.S.)
May God bless RLH and his precious family.
I knew as Capt Howard.
I served under him, he was my Capt. in Co. A 2nd/75th at Fort Lewis 1974 -1978
He was a hero, and a true American HERO!
He taught many young soldiers how to be one!
I then had the honor of him being the Co. at the mountain ranger faze at Fort Benning.
He even Called my name out to give me credit on one of our night missions.
I can still hear his vioce to this day.
Hoooa
I had the privelege to meet Colonel Howard twice. The first was in 1976 as a freezing RANGER student who had just made a water landing in the Dial River in northern Georgia. The next time was this spring when he came through MND-B headquarters on a Medal of Honor tour. He was older and I had to read his bio to connect the dots. I asked him if he was a RANGER instructor in the Mountain RANGER Camp in 1976. When he confirmed that, I told him the last time we had met, he had chewed my butt for going swimming.
Our loss. Heaven's gain...
Had the pleasure of knowing him when he was working as the VA Rep in Korea, a great man, it was really fun watching the faces of the soldiers at their outprocessing, they would come in joking and stuff then someone would tell then who the man was giving the brief man you could see the awe in their eyes. Rest well Col you will be missed.