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Contact Info
Home Town Tyler, TX
Last Address Coral Gables, FL
Date of Passing Nov 22, 2015
Location of Interment U.S. Naval Academy Cemetery and Columbarium (VLM) - Annapolis, Maryland
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
Howard Earl Greer, Vice Admiral, USN (RET) died of natural causes on Nov. 22, 2015 in Coral Gables, Fl. He was born May 1, 1921 in Tyler, Texas and attended public school there until entering Tyler Junior College. He received a congressional appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy and was commissioned an Ensign upon graduation with the class of 1944. VADM Greer served on active duty from June 1943 to April 1978 and accrued a total of 5,292 flight hours and 418 carrier landings.
After operational training in Florida, Greer served on the USS Princeton (CVL-23). He received flight training at NAS Ottumwa, NAS Corpus Christi, and NAS Miami, earning his carrier qualification in 1946. He attended the Naval War College from August 1953 to May 1954.
Aviation Commands include Commanding Officer VF-64 (F3H) 1957-1958; Commander CVA-10 (aboard USS Shangri La) 1961-1962; Commanding Officer USS Hancock (CVA-19) 1968-1969; Chief of Naval Air Reserve Training 1969-1971; Commander, Carrier Division THREE 1972-1974; and Commander, Naval Air Forces Atlantic Fleet 1975-1978. Combat Tours include WWII: USS Princeton (CVL-23); Ship's officer in Gilbert Islands, Tarawa, Roi, Namur, Eniwetok, Palau, Guam, Saipan, Battle of Philippines Sea and Rabaul campaigns; Vietnam: four tours with Seventh Fleet 1964-1972; and Yankee Station commander (CTG-77.0) in 1972.
Significant career events were as speech writer for Admiral Arthur W. Radford when testifying before congress during the "Revolt of the Admirals" in 1949; introducing the Sparrow III missile to the Fleet with F3H-2 in 1957; Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans for Seventh Fleet for the first two years (1964 -1966) of the Vietnam War; and Tactical Commander for all air operations by naval forces in Linebacker I campaign, including the mining of Haiphong Harbor in May 1972 as Yankee station commander.
VADM Greer's awards include the Distinguished Service Medal (2), Legion of Merit (4), Navy Commendation Metal, Pacific Theater WW II Ribbon with 9 Battle Stars, and Vietnamese Distinguished Service Award. He retired from active duty as Commander, Naval Air Forces Atlantic Fleet in April 1978.
Upon retirement from the Navy, VADM Greer moved to La Jolla, Ca, where he worked as a consultant for General Dynamics from 1978 to 1996. He was a proud member of the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association and the Tailhook Association, and he was deeply honored to be a Golden Eagle and serve as its member Chair for several years.
The third of four children of a grocery salesman, Greer's lifelong love of gardening came from his mother's passion for breeding hybrid rose variations, a local hobby common in his native Tyler, rose capital of the world. Howard loved the outdoors and horse riding and for many years was a member of Los Rancheros Visitadores, based in Santa Ynez, California, the world's largest and oldest men's Western riding organization, whose membership included former President Ronald Reagan. Greer was an accomplished card and domino player, a hunter, a tennis buff, and a dancer. He also was an avid golfer, and a devoted fan of football, which he starred in at Tyler High School. Especially in his later years, he enjoyed traveling and exploring new cultures, and loved good conversation and time spent with family and friends.
VADM Greer married to the former Margaret Goolsby of Macon, Georgia in 1944; the former Suzanne Johnson of Washington, D.C. in 1965, and the former Dale Price of Washington, D.C., in 1985. He will be greatly missed by his six children and their spouses: Margaret Simmons (Chris), Darby Monger (Jack), David Greer (Andrew), Briand Greer (Jeanne), Holly Thompson (Michael), and Howard Greer, Jr. (Stacey); as well as his ten grandchildren, Hayley Connors (Sean), Halsey and Alden Monger, Ashley, Jaime Katherine, Craig and Hunter Thompson, Grant and Anna Greer, and Park Simmons; as well as great-grandchildren Michaela and Sean Connors, Jr.; and his numerous nieces, nephews, and family members in the Tyler area.
Mariana and Palau Islands Campaign (1944)/Battle of Guam
From Month/Year
July / 1944
To Month/Year
August / 1944
Description Guam, ringed by reefs, cliffs, and heavy surf, presents a formidable challenge for an attacker. But despite the obstacles, on 21 July, the Americans landed on both sides of the Orote peninsula on the western side of Guam, planning to cut off the airfield. The 3rd Marine Division landed near Agana to the north of Orote at 08:28, and the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade landed near Agat to the south. Japanese artillery sank 20 LVTs, and inflicted heavy casualties on the Americans, especially on the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade, but by 09:00 men and tanks were ashore at both beaches. The 77th Infantry Division had a more difficult landing. Lacking amphibious vehicles, they had to wade ashore from the edge of the reef where they were dropped by their landing craft. The men stationed in the two beachheads were pinned down by heavy Japanese fire, making initial progress inland quite slow.
US Marines move inland.
By nightfall, the Americans had established beachheads about 6,600 feet (2,000 m) deep. Japanese counterattacks were made throughout the first few days of the battle, mostly at night, using infiltration tactics. Several times, they penetrated the American defenses and were driven back with heavy loss of men and equipment. Lieutenant General Takeshi Takashina was killed on 28 July, and Lieutenant General Hideyoshi Obata took over the command of the defenders.
Supply was very difficult for the Americans in the first days of the battle. Landing ships could not come closer than the reef, several hundred yards from the beach, and amphibious vehicles were scarce. However, the two beachheads were joined up on 25 July, and the Orote airfield and Apra harbor were captured by 30 July.
The counterattacks against the American beachheads, as well as the fierce fighting, had exhausted the Japanese. At the start of August, they were running out of food and ammunition and had only a handful of tanks left. Obata withdrew his troops from the south of Guam, planning to make a stand in the mountainous central and northern part of the island. But with resupply and reinforcement impossible because of American control of the sea and air around Guam, he could hope to do no more than delay the inevitable defeat for a few days.
Rain and thick jungle made conditions difficult for the Americans, but after an engagement at Mount Barrigada from 2-4 August, the Japanese line collapsed; the rest of the battle was a pursuit to the north. As in other battles of the Pacific War, the Japanese refused to surrender, and almost all were killed. On 10 August, after three weeks of combat, organized Japanese resistance ended, and Guam was declared secure. The next day, Obata committed ritual suicide.
