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Information > Heritage > History Person
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Lt. Col. James H. Howard
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James H. Howard, as a major and fighter pilot in the U.S. Army Air Forces, he earned the Medal of Honor in aerial combat in World War II. He defiantly took on overwhelming odds to defend bombers on a mission to Oschersleben, Germany, Jan. 5, 1944. (U.S. Air Force illustration)
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James H. Howard, as a major and fighter pilot in the U.S. Army Air Forces, he earned the Medal of Honor in aerial combat in World War II. Before that, he had been a naval aviator and an ace in China, flying for Gen. Claire Chennault's famed Flying Tigers.
Flying in China was returning home in a way for Howard. His parents were missionaries in Canton where he was born April 8, 1913. He spent his first 14 years in China and spoke the language fluently. His youthful years in the Far East were climaxed by an encounter with bandits while on a hunting trip with his father, who was captured and held prisoner for 10 weeks. The younger Howard was in another car, and escaped.
He studied at Pomona College in Claremont, Calif., but left in 1937 to enter military service as an aviation cadet in the Naval Reserve and study at the U.S. Navy's flying school in Pensacola, Fla. For three years, he flew F-4 Wildcats and served on a number of different aircraft carriers, including the USS Enterprise, until June 21, 1941, when he resigned from active duty.
In 1940 he was introduced to several Chinese government envoys that had permission from President Roosevelt to approach U.S. military flyers about a special job. Howard accepted and found himself spirited back to China, where he joined an elite group, the American Volunteer Group, known as the Flying Tigers from August 1941 to June 1942. He was given the rank of vice squadron leader and appointed group operations officers fighting the pilots of the Japanese army and navy. Howard flew 56 combat missions with the AVG and was credited with six kills. He was promoted to squadron leader by Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek. He was commended for bombing and strafing missions in the Far East.
When the AVG was absorbed by the Army Air Forces in 1942, Howard accepted a commission as a major. On Jan. 31, 1943, he entered active military service with the rating of pilot where he was assigned to March and Hamilton fields in California where he became Commander of the 356th Fighter Squadron.
He was assigned as operational staff officer at Headquarters Ninth Air Force while stationed in the United States and the European theater of operations. On Jan. 11, 1944, Eighth Air Force sent three bombardment divisions against aircraft factories in the Brunswick area, near Berlin. While they were climbing up through 25,000 feet of solid overcast, the weather turned sour in England and the mission was recalled. The 1st Division, however, continued on toward its target, escorted by 50 of the P-51 Mustangs led by Howard.
As the division, now in clear weather, approached its target, it came under exceptionally heavy attack by crack Luftwaffe fighters. Howard released squadrons and flights of his P-51s to defend the bomber stream while he climbed to meet attacks against the lead box of bombers. He immediately shot down a twin-engine Messerschmitt Bf-110 night fighter but became separated from his group. Now alone, Howard was confronted by some 30 Luftwaffe fighters. When his ammunition ran out, he continued to dive in feints at incoming fighters to break up their attacks, only turning for home when his fuel ran dangerously low. None of the B-17 Flying Fortresses were lost. When Howard landed at Boxted, England, there was one bullet hole in the wing of his P-51. More than one observer described Howard's actions that day as the greatest display of combat flying ever seen. The Air Force agreed, awarding him the Medal of Honor June 5, 1944.
His citation reads..."For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy near Oschersleben, Germany on 11 January 1944. On that day Colonel Howard was the leader of a group of P-51 aircraft providing support for a heavy bomber formation on a long range mission deep in enemy territory. As Colonel Howard's group met the bombers in the target area the bomber force was attacked by numerous enemy fighters. Colonel Howard, with his group, and at once engaged the enemy and himself destroyed a German ME-110. As a result of this attack Colonel Howard lost contact with his group and at once returned to the level of the bomber formation. He then saw that the bombers were being heavily attacked by enemy planes and that no other friendly fighters were at hand. While Colonel Howard could have waited to attempt to assemble his group before engaging the enemy, he chose instead to attack single-handed a formation of more than thirty German airplanes. With utter disregard for his own safety he immediately pressed home determined attacks for some thirty minutes, during which time he destroyed three enemy airplanes and probably destroyed and damaged others. Toward the end of this engagement three of his guns went out of action and his fuel supply was becoming dangerously low. Despite these handicaps and the almost insuperable odds against him, Colonel Howard continued his aggressive action in an attempt to protect the bombers from the numerous fighters. His skill, courage, and intrepidity on this occasion set an example of heroism which will be an inspiration to the Armed Forces of the United States"
When he returned to the United States, he attended Third Fighter Gunnery School in Pinellas, Fla., in November 1944 for six weeks. He was then assigned to Headquarters Third Air Force in Tampa until Nov. 30, 1945, when he was relieved of active duty. He was promoted to colonel in the Air Force Reserve nov. 25, 1945.
His other decorations included two Distinguished Flying Crosses, Bronze Star Medal, 10 Air Medals, American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal and World War II Victory Medal. He received two awards from the Chinese air force, the One Star Medal and the Sixth Grade Cloud Banner Decoration.
Howard formed his own systems engineering company after the war. His active duty tours with reserve assignment were located at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., Williams AFB, Ariz., and the Pentagon. One of his last assignments was as the Operations Control Division Chief in the Directorate of Operations at Headquarters U.S. Air Force. He retired from the Air Force Reserve in 1966 as a brigadier general.
He passed away March 18, 1995, at the Veterans Medical Center at Bay Pines, Fla. He was 81.
Information from Air University, Air Force Historical Studies Office and military personnel records. |
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