COL Robert L. Howard One of the unsung Special Forces heroes. Colonel Robert L. Howard. He was one of America’s most decorated Soldiers. His life sounds like a movie based on his service. Even though he had appeared in two John Wayne movies, making a parachute jump in The Longest Day and playing an airborne instructor in The Green Berets was not exactly a stretch for him (Feherty 2010). Like most great tales the truth is better than fiction. He served in Vietnam with the U.S. Army Special Forces and spent most of his five tours in the super-secret Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG), a highly classified, multi-service United States special operations unit which conducted covert unconventional warfare operations during the Vietnam War. The unit participated in the most significant campaigns of the war, Bob Howard was there for most of it. The first MACV-SOG recon teams were initially called “SPIKE TEAMS,” each team consisting of three U.S. Special Forces (SF) Soldiers and nine indigenous personnel (Stanton 1985). Recon teams that got into difficulty could call for assistance from U.S. led reaction forces known as “HATCHET FORCES.” Platoon size units of five U.S. SF Operators and 30 native personnel. “HATCHET FORCES” could also be used for ambushes to reinforce recon teams when needed. Two or more “HATCHET FORCES” combined were termed as a “HAVOC” or “HORNET” force. Full SOG companies were called “SLAM” companies, Search, Location, Annihilation, Monitor (or Mission) (Stanton 1985). The late Col.
The post Col. Robert L. Howard, wounded 14 times over 54 months of combat, awarded 8 Purple Hearts, 2 Distinguished Service Crosses, 1 Silver Star, 4 Bronze Stars, nominated for the MoH three separate appeared first on WAR HISTORY ONLINE.