More detail on this person: My Dad, a Senior Army Aviator, served in Vietnam in 1968-1969 with
the Americal Division. He died on 10 June 2006 at the age of 86. What follows is an excerpt from
his West Point Memorial page:
He was our hero. Not because we knew anything about his military achievements, but because he was
our Dad. The key values he learned at West Point, he taught us - Duty, Honor, Country and the
courage to stand up for them. Like so many of his classmates, his uniform was adorned with
multi-colored ribbons, stars, oak leafs, arrow heads and badges attesting to combat service. We
didn't know much about them because his generation never discussed the topic. It wasn't until the
months prior to his death that he ever mentioned any particulars; and then, he never uttered a word
about the combat and carnage associated with the battles in which he participated. After Dad's
death, we studied his files and memoirs. In time, we learned many details: He, like so many members
of the Long Grey Line, was a hero. In 1943, as a 23-year-old Captain, he earned both the Silver and
Bronze stars for valor in combat actions at Kasserine Pass. The following year, as a Major, he was
awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received at the Anzio beachhead.
As the memoirs were read, we tried to imagine what it would be like to build an airfield, complete
with three mile runway, in Hamadan, Iran for the Shah; or enter Vietnam in 1969 as a combat leader.
He rode into battle on the sturdiest of steeds, a UH-1 Iroquois helicopter. While flying that iron
horse in the sky, he directed combat actions and earned an Air Medal with "V" device and 17 Oak Leaf
clusters, a Distinguished Flying Cross and the Sikorsky award for helicopter rescue. Not bad for a
49 year old assistant Division Commander, especially one who didn't receive flight training until
late in his career.
He was a pioneer in Army Aviation. Making the bold decision to change his career path from
Engineering to Aviation at the 15 year mark, he was ultimately promoted to the rank of Brigadier
General and served his country as the Director of U.S. Army Aviation. In the capacity of Military
Assistant to the Assistant Director (Combat Systems) of Defense Research and Engineering, Office
Secretary of Defense, he steered the course of history. Dad authored four separate memoranda for
Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara. The most significant, dated 19 April 1962, directed the
development of bold, new approaches to expand Army aviation. In another, he was so audacious as to
name the individuals who would sit on the board. It culminated with the creation of the Howze Board
and Air Mobility testing. In reading the memoirs, we found it interesting that Hamilton Howze was
selected, by name, by Robert McNamara to lead this board. Years earlier, during WWII, Dad worked as
the assistant G3 for the 1st Armored Division. His boss, the G3, was Hamilton H. Howze ('30) and
together they forged plans for the Anzio invasion. It is an accepted fact that the McNamara memos
and the subsequent creation of the Howze Board gave birth to modern air mobility, ultimately
creating the Air Assault Division. These actions changed the way U.S. forces conducted land warfare.
My Dad was living in Atlantic Beach, Florida, a suburb of Jacksonville. He died of Congestive Heart
Failure. It took 3 years_His final years were spent dealing with a debilitating disease, but he
marched toward death in the same manner as he did most things in life; never giving up and
displaying courage we will never forget.
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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Date posted on this site: 01/11/2025
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