Hamilton H. Howze

Infobox Military Person
name=Hamilton H. Howze
born= birth date|1908|12|21
died= death date and age|1998|12|8|1908|12|21
placeofbirth= West Point, New York
placeofdeath=
placeofburial=


caption=General Hamilton H. Howze
nickname=
allegiance= United States of America
branch= United States Army
serviceyears=1930-1965
rank= General
commands=82d Airborne Division XVIII Airborne Corps Eighth Army
unit=
battles=World War II
awards=Silver Star Legion of Merit Bronze Star
relations=Major General Robert L. Howze (father) Major General Robert Lee Howze Jr. (Brother)
laterwork=

Hamilton Hawkins Howze was born in West Point, New York, on December 21, 1908. The son of Major General Robert Lee Howze (who served under Theodore Roosevelt and his "Rough Riders), he attended the United States Military Academy at West Point and graduated in the class of 1930, commissioned in the Cavalry.

Prior to World War II he served in the 6th Cavalry. During the war his assignment included Commander, 2nd Battalion, 13th Armor Regiment (1943), Commander, 13th Armor Regiment (1943-44), Commander, CCA, 1st Armored Division, Italy (1944-45). After the war he served as G-3, 1st Armored Division in 1946. He attended the National War College in 1949, which was followed by an assignment in the office of the G-2 from 1949 to 1952. After promotion to Brigadier General in 1952 he became Assistant Commanding General, 2nd Armored Division, European Command, from 1952 to 1954

He is recognized as the intellectual force behind the concept of airmobility and current Army Aviation doctrine.

While serving as the first Director of Army Aviation, Depart­ment of the Army, from 1955 to 1958, he developed new tactical principles for the employment of Army Aviation, and was instrumen­tal in helping the Aviation Center and School become fully established in its new home at Fort Rucker, Alabama. He then became Commanding General, 82d Airborne Division.

As Chairman of the Tactical Mobility Requirements Board in 1961, he cited the need for the development of airmobile theory and doctrine. The Army's adoption of the Howze Board recommendations revolutionized mobile warfare concepts based on the use of organic aviation in much the same manner as the introduction of the tank affected mobility concepts almost 50 years earlier.

The 11th Air Assault Division was formed in 1963 to test and validate these concepts. As a result of his leadership, foresight, and perception, two airmobile divisions were eventually established in the Army force structure. These divisions successfully provided the full spectrum of mobile, combined arms capabilities which are requisite to successful ground combat and which have become fundamental to modern airmobility doctrine.

Later, General (then LTG) Howze served as the Commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps. His last assignment was as Commanding General, Eighth U.S. Army, Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Forces Korea, a four star United Nations Command involving U.S. and R.O.K. troops, from 1963 to 1965.

In retirement, he was a senior executive with an aviation company. A 1957 Charter Member of the Army Aviation Association, he later served as that organization's Senior Vice President and President during a four year period. He was a member of the Army Aviation Hall of Fame and was the Chairman of the AAAA’s Hall of Fame Board of Trustees. General Howze retired from active duty in 1965 to Fort Worth, Texas

He died on December 8, 1998, and was buried next to his father at the United States Military Academy Post Cemetery. [ [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=howze&GSfn=hamilton&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSob=n&GRid=22045& Find-a-grave.com entry] ]

Awards and decorations

Howze earned the Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star for Valor, the Italian Military Valor Cross, the Korean Order of Merit First Class, and a number of campaign medals.

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References