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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.
Vietnam War/Counteroffensive Phase II Campaign (66-67)
From Month/Year
July / 1966
To Month/Year
May / 1967
Description This Campaign period was from 1 July 1966 to 31 May 1967. The growing Coastal Force devoted most of its attention to amphibious raids, patrols of shallow inlets and river mouths, troop lifts, and blocking support for allied ground sweeps. For instance, during Operation Irving in October 1966, ground forces and junk units in II Coastal Zone killed 681 Viet Cong troops. In addition, the junkmen established a government presence among the fishermen and provided them with medical services and other assistance. Sometimes the Coastal Force sailors convinced Communist soldiers to desert their units.
The enemy, who often attacked the 27 vulnerable Coastal Force bases, overran the triangular-shaped fortifications of Coastal Group 15 at Cua An Hoa in July 1965 and of Coastal Group 16 at Co Luy in August 1967. Other bases, however, withstood repeated assaults. In doing so, these facilities played a part in the allied effort that denied the enemy easy access to the coastal regions.
Viet Cong mines also took their toll of the command's MLMS fleet, which worked to keep open the shipping channel to Saigon. In August 1966 and again in January 1967, enemy mines sank an MLMS in the Rung Sat. The River Force did not fully employ its strength. The political troubles of 1965 and 1966 in the Republic of Vietnam, in which high-ranking River Force officers figured prominently, damaged morale and distracted personnel from their military mission.
The navy and the army rarely launched joint amphibious assaults against the Viet Cong. Operations reflected the River Force's lack of technically skilled crewmen, the poor maintenance and repair of river craft, and the absence of inspired leadership. Usually, only half of the command's units were ready for combat action, and many of these boats were committed by the army to static guard, resupply, troop lift, or other nonoffensive duties.
The reliance on defense over offense reflected the historic Vietnamese strategy of husbanding resources until there was clear advantage over an enemy. The Vietnamese Navy's River Force sailors often fought hard and bravely, killing many of the enemy and suffering heavy losses of their own, but their valor and sacrifice was not rewarded with strategic success.
