Howard Boyd Henry

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Silver Star Medal (Posthumously) to Howard Boyd Henry (0-85097), Major, U.S. Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Pilot with Marine Observation Squadron TWO (VMO-2), Marine Aircraft Group SIXTEEN (MAG-16), FIRST Marine Aircraft Wing in connection with combat operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. On the night of 22 October 1969, Major Henry launched as Section Leader of a flight of two HA-1G Cobra helicopters assigned the emergency extraction of a seven-man reconnaissance patrol which had sustained four casualties. Arriving over the designated area, he immediately established radio contact with the team and was informed that only three members of the team were able to defend its position. Unable to establish the beleaguered patrols exact location, he requested a flare ship and commenced low-altitude passes over the area to search for the embattled men. Undaunted by the constant threat of hostile fire and extremely adverse weather conditions which severely restricted visibility and the area of maneuverability, Major Henry fearlessly directed his aircraft on repeated runs under the obscuring cloud cover. Maintaining continuous radio communication with the ground unit, he continually encouraged the Marines and requested guidance by visual sighting of his aircraft’s lights or the sound of his engine in an attempt to pinpoint the patrol’s position. As a result of his low-altitude circling of their position, he succeeded in preventing the enemy from launching an attack. After over eight hours of maneuvering over the reconnaissance team’s position, Major Henry directed the insertion of a reaction force and the extraction of the patrol. By his courage, bold initiative and unswerving devotion to duty in the face of great personal danger, Major Henry was instrumental in saving the lives of several of his fellow Marines and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.