Robert L. Howard
American Army Special Forces officer / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Robert Lewis Howard (July 11, 1939 ā December 23, 2009) was a United States Army Special Forces officer and recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Vietnam War. He was wounded 14 times over 54 months of combat, was awarded the Medal of Honor, eight Purple Hearts, a Distinguished Service Cross,[lower-alpha 1] a Silver Star, and four Bronze Stars.
Robert L. Howard | |
---|---|
Born | (1939-07-11)July 11, 1939 Opelika, Alabama, U.S. |
Died | December 23, 2009(2009-12-23) (aged 70) Waco, Texas, U.S. |
Buried | Arlington National Cemetery Section 7A Grave 138 |
Allegiance | United States |
Service/ | United States Army |
Years of service | 1956ā1992 |
Rank | Colonel |
Unit | 101st Airborne Division 5th Special Forces Group MACV-SOG Special Operations Command Korea |
Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
Awards | Medal of Honor Distinguished Service Cross Silver Star Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit (4) Bronze Star Medal (4) Purple Heart (8) |
Other work | Department of Veterans Affairs |
Howard was nominated for the Medal of Honor three times over a 13-month period but received lesser medals for the first two nominations, which were for actions performed in Cambodia where the U.S. was fighting covertly. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on December 30, 1968, his third nomination. He retired from the United States Army after 36 years of service as a full colonel. He was one of the most decorated soldiers in the Vietnam War and was "said to be the most decorated service member in the history of the United States".
Howard died as a result of pancreatic cancer, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery on February 22, 2010.