Tribute to a Mentor
#1
01-05-2010, 09:00 AM
Tribute to a Mentor
I know this is probably the wrong forum...and am sure if so an admin will move it...but I wanted to post a tribute to a man I served with in the military a long time ago. While he was never a personal friend, he was a mentor to many, not so much in his personal interactions, but by his example as a soldier.
Robert Howard, was, at least when I knew him, a captain, and later retired as a colonel in the US Army. At the time of his death, he was the highest decorated veteran alive. He had been, when I came to serve in the same unit he was assigned to (2nd/75th Ranger) nominated for the Congressional Medal of Valor 3 times and awarded one. His list of decorations is staggering. He was a legend in the 5th GP SF when I served there, and I was excited to be able to move to the 2/75 to actually meet the man. Although I did not directly serve under his command (he was the Alpha Co. Commander, and I was assigned to Charlie Company) he served as an example for all of us.
The only personal interaction I ever directly had with him occurred on a parachute jump in the Panama CZ, into a drop zone so small that you could only put 10-12 jumpers a pass out. Prior to this drop, our candy-*** S-3 Air Officer, a West Pointer, had chewed out my 1st Sgt in front of a large group of soldiers for "urinating in a non-discreet manner."
Now, one should know that when you are staged on the flight line to get into a C-141 and leave, once you are on the flight line, you don't leave the flight line, and when you got to go...you got to go. Long story short, said officer wanted to be "the first to have his boots hit the ground" in Panama as we were dropping the entire battalion in there. As fate would have it, the jumpmaster on his door was the same 1st Sgt he had just chewed out.
Long story short...the officer in question had 40 jumps on his record...all night jumps because he always kept his eyes closed when exiting the aircraft, a fact I had seen when I had jumpmastered him on prior jumps. The DZ we came into is bordered by Lake Gatun, which is full of all sorts of nasty wildlife...and as the 1st sgt slapped him on the *** and said "Go" I noticed the light was still red.
Cpt Howard was 2nd in the stick and I was 3rd. As our beloved S-3 Air exited the aircraft the 1st Sgt was laughing so hard he barely got his hand up to hold us till the light came green. I swear when Cpt Howard went out he was shaking his finger at the 1st Sgt and laughing his *** off as well. On landing and packing our parachutes into kit bags, Cpt Howard walked up towards the collection area and turned and looked at me and said "There are 2 valuable lessons here that apparently Cpt S-3 Air needs to learn, first, keeping your eyes open when jumping out of an aircraft is always a good idea...nice to know when the light is green instead of red, and second, it is never a good idea to chew out a 1st Sgt in front of troops, especially when that 1st Sgt was born in Yugoslavia and was throwing molotov cocktails at Russian tanks when you were nothing more than an idea in Dad's mind." By the way...said S-3 officer did land directly in the middle of the lake...and was furious...but oddly enough nothing came of it.
But what I truly learned from Bob Howard is that being a hero isn't something you are born with...nor is it something you learn. It isn't a trait that is given to some and withheld from others. It is in fact in all of us...and it surfaces when $hit hits the fan and the situation has completely gone to hell, and you simply do the right thing.
This never sunk into me until I was put into that situation...and did the right thing. And he was right...while the recognition is nice...and you are proud of it...but knowing you did the right thing when it counted is the memory that lingers longer than anything they hang around your neck or pin on your chest.
I know there are number of you who served in the SOF community, and you probably either know of this man...or served with him at some point.
Col. Robert Howard passed away, Dec 23rd, 2009.
Rest In Peace Sir. If anyone has earned that....you have.
Awards and decorations
Robert Howard, was, at least when I knew him, a captain, and later retired as a colonel in the US Army. At the time of his death, he was the highest decorated veteran alive. He had been, when I came to serve in the same unit he was assigned to (2nd/75th Ranger) nominated for the Congressional Medal of Valor 3 times and awarded one. His list of decorations is staggering. He was a legend in the 5th GP SF when I served there, and I was excited to be able to move to the 2/75 to actually meet the man. Although I did not directly serve under his command (he was the Alpha Co. Commander, and I was assigned to Charlie Company) he served as an example for all of us.
The only personal interaction I ever directly had with him occurred on a parachute jump in the Panama CZ, into a drop zone so small that you could only put 10-12 jumpers a pass out. Prior to this drop, our candy-*** S-3 Air Officer, a West Pointer, had chewed out my 1st Sgt in front of a large group of soldiers for "urinating in a non-discreet manner."
Now, one should know that when you are staged on the flight line to get into a C-141 and leave, once you are on the flight line, you don't leave the flight line, and when you got to go...you got to go. Long story short, said officer wanted to be "the first to have his boots hit the ground" in Panama as we were dropping the entire battalion in there. As fate would have it, the jumpmaster on his door was the same 1st Sgt he had just chewed out.
Long story short...the officer in question had 40 jumps on his record...all night jumps because he always kept his eyes closed when exiting the aircraft, a fact I had seen when I had jumpmastered him on prior jumps. The DZ we came into is bordered by Lake Gatun, which is full of all sorts of nasty wildlife...and as the 1st sgt slapped him on the *** and said "Go" I noticed the light was still red.
Cpt Howard was 2nd in the stick and I was 3rd. As our beloved S-3 Air exited the aircraft the 1st Sgt was laughing so hard he barely got his hand up to hold us till the light came green. I swear when Cpt Howard went out he was shaking his finger at the 1st Sgt and laughing his *** off as well. On landing and packing our parachutes into kit bags, Cpt Howard walked up towards the collection area and turned and looked at me and said "There are 2 valuable lessons here that apparently Cpt S-3 Air needs to learn, first, keeping your eyes open when jumping out of an aircraft is always a good idea...nice to know when the light is green instead of red, and second, it is never a good idea to chew out a 1st Sgt in front of troops, especially when that 1st Sgt was born in Yugoslavia and was throwing molotov cocktails at Russian tanks when you were nothing more than an idea in Dad's mind." By the way...said S-3 officer did land directly in the middle of the lake...and was furious...but oddly enough nothing came of it.
But what I truly learned from Bob Howard is that being a hero isn't something you are born with...nor is it something you learn. It isn't a trait that is given to some and withheld from others. It is in fact in all of us...and it surfaces when $hit hits the fan and the situation has completely gone to hell, and you simply do the right thing.
This never sunk into me until I was put into that situation...and did the right thing. And he was right...while the recognition is nice...and you are proud of it...but knowing you did the right thing when it counted is the memory that lingers longer than anything they hang around your neck or pin on your chest.
I know there are number of you who served in the SOF community, and you probably either know of this man...or served with him at some point.
Col. Robert Howard passed away, Dec 23rd, 2009.
Rest In Peace Sir. If anyone has earned that....you have.
Awards and decorations
- Medal of Honor
- Distinguished Service Cross (with one oak leaf cluster) (2 awards)
- Silver Star
- Defense Superior Service Medal
- Legion of Merit (with three oak leaf clusters) (4 awards)
- Bronze Star (with three oak leaf clusters and "V" device) (4 awards)
- Purple Heart (with a silver and two bronze oak leaf clusters) (8 awards)
- Meritorious Service Medal (with two oak leaf clusters) (3 awards)
- 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 with four Good Conduct Loops (4 awards)
- National Defense Service Medal
- Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with three service stars (3 awards)
- Vietnam Service Medal with 3 service stars (3 campaigns)
- Armed Forces Reserve Medal
- NCO Professional Development Ribbon with 2 device
- Army Service Ribbon
- Army Overseas Service Ribbon
Presidential Unit Citation (Army) with oak leaf cluster (2 awards)
Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army)
Navy Unit Commendation
Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry Unit Citation with Palm (Unit citation)
Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Unit Citation with Palm (Unit citation)
- Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Gold Star (Corps citation), Silver Star (Division citation) and Bronze Star (Regiment/Brigade citation)
- Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal, 1st Class
- Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Medal, 1st Class
- Republic of Vietnam Wound Medal
- Republic of Vietnam Staff Service Medal, 2nd Class
- Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with 1960 bar
- Republic of Korea Order of National Security Merit (Sam-Il Medal)
- Ranger Tab
- Special Forces Tab
- Combat Infantryman Badge
- Expert Infantryman's Badge
- Aircrew Badge
- Master Parachutist Badge
- Pathfinder Badge
- Air Assault Badge
- Expert Marksmanship Badge
- Vietnamese Ranger Badge
- Vietnamese Master Parachute Badge
- Thai Master Parachute Wings
- Korean Master Parachute Badge
- Thai Balloonist Badge
- French Parachutist Badge
Last edited by SlowRain; 01-05-2010 at 09:31 AM.
#2
01-05-2010, 09:06 AM
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#3
01-05-2010, 09:17 AM
RIP Sir.
He was the OIC out at mackall when I went through phase one. Truly a remarkable man.
Met him a couple of other times on and off over the years, but the last time I saw him was in 98 at the 5th Gp Christmas ball.
RIP to a great American.
He was the OIC out at mackall when I went through phase one. Truly a remarkable man.
Met him a couple of other times on and off over the years, but the last time I saw him was in 98 at the 5th Gp Christmas ball.
RIP to a great American.
#7
01-05-2010, 11:42 AM
Sounds like a great man. RIP soldier. That was some funny chit about the S-3 landing in the swamp!! 
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#8
01-05-2010, 11:42 AM
I had the honor of having served TDY in his S.O.G. with 1st Sgt. Howard just before he was promoted to 1st Lt. in 1969. He was an impressive man and soldier. http://rlhtribute.com/
This how I remembered him.
This how I remembered him.
Last edited by shortride; 01-05-2010 at 12:01 PM.
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