[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Pages 2282-2283]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO COLONEL ROBERT L. HOWARD

 Mr. SESSIONS. Madam President, today I pay tribute to COL 
Robert L. Howard. Colonel Howard grew up in Opelika, AL, and enlisted 
in the U.S. Army in 1956 at age 17. He retired as a full Colonel in 
1992 after 36 years service. After retiring, Howard worked for the 
Department of Veterans Affairs. During Vietnam, he served in the U.S. 
Army Special Forces, Green Berets, and spent most of his five tours in 
the secret Military Assistance Command Vietnam Studies and Observations 
Group, also known as Special Operations Group, which ran classified 
cross-border operations into Laos, Cambodia, and North Vietnam.
  These men carried out some of the most daring and dangerous missions 
ever conducted by the U.S. military. The understrength 60-man recon 
company at Kontum in which he served was the Vietnam war's most highly 
decorated unit of its size with five Medals of Honor. It was for his 
actions while serving on a mission to rescue a fellow soldier in 
Cambodia that he was submitted for the third time for the Medal of 
Honor for his extraordinary heroism. Colonel Howard was a sergeant 
first class in the Army's Special Forces on Dec. 30, 1968, when he 
rallied a badly shot-up platoon against an estimated 250 enemy troops. 
Despite being unable to walk because of injuries, he coordinated a 
counterattack while aiding the wounded and was the last man to board a 
helicopter, according to military records.
  He served five tours in Vietnam and is the only soldier in our 
Nation's history to be nominated for the Congressional Medal of Honor 
three times for three separate actions within a 13-month period. He 
received a direct appointment from master sergeant to first lieutenant 
in 1969 and was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Richard M. 
Nixon at the White House in 1971. His other awards for valor include 
two awards of the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, the 
Defense Superior Service Medal, four awards of the Legion of Merit, 
four Bronze Star Medals and eight Purple Hearts. He was wounded 14 
times while serving in Vietnam.
  Colonel Howard, 70, died at a hospice in Waco, where he had been for 
about 3 weeks, suffering from pancreatic cancer. He was buried in 
Arlington on February 22, 2010. Colonel Howard is survived by his son, 
Army SGT Robert Howard, Jr., and daughters Melissa Gentsch, Rosslyn 
Howard, and Denicia Howard; and four grandchildren. I was also pleased 
to meet his brother Steve Howard, 6 years younger, who also volunteered 
at age 17. In an annual event, Steve was able to serve with his brother 
on one of his tours in Vietnam. It was wonderfully clear to one how 
much affection and respect Steve had for his big brother.

[[Page 2283]]

  So, Madam President, it is my honor to pay tribute to this great 
Alabamian and, most of all, this great American. He, like so many 
today, went into harm's way, a courageous patriot, to effect the 
decided military positions of the United States. It is on the actions 
of such men that our liberty and prosperity depend. I am humbled to 
have the opportunity to express my appreciation for Colonel Howard's 
heroic and superb service to this country.

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