The Opelika, Ala., native enlisted in the Army in 1956, when he was 17. He served five tours of duty with Special Forces in Vietnam. During 54 months of combat, he was wounded 14 times and awarded eight Purple Hearts.
He received the Medal of Honor for his heroism in saving his badly wounded platoon leader and rallying his troops during a 1968 mission to rescue another soldier in enemy-controlled territory.
"Howard's gallantry in action, his complete devotion to the welfare of his men at the risk of his life were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service," said the citation for the Medal of Honor President Nixon presented to him in 1971.
Howard's other awards include the Distinguished Service Cross and the Silver Star.
Despite his cancer, Howard visited U.S. troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, Germany, Bosnia and Kosovo this year, according to the Express-News.
"It's up to each of us to not lay and wait for better days, but instead look for opportunities to make the lives of those around us better," Howard wrote in a March 25 column for the military newspaper "Star and Stripes" marking National Medal of Honor Day.
Howard will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. No date for the funeral has been set.
More: San Antonio Express-News
