Lieutenant Colonel Howard Palma Petty was born on October 9, 1930, and was originally from Pulaski, Tennessee. He served his country in the Vietnam War in the United States Army, with HHC, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division. Lt. Col. Petty was an 18 year veteran of the United States Army prior to his service in Vietnam, which began on July 20, 1967. On March 15, 1968, Lt. Col Petty was killed in Quang Tri province, South Vietnam from a mortar round that hit his bunker; he was 37 at the time of his death. Lt. Col. Petty was buried at Maplewood Cemetery in Pulaski, Giles County, Tennessee, and is memorialized on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Panel 44E, Line 61. The following are tributes to Lt. Col. Petty:
James Jackson:
LTC Petty was my Company Commander
I started out as a draftee in 1958. I reported for my first assignment to the 14th Inf at Fort Benning GA. I became a jeep driver for CPT Petty. It his leadership and professionalism in those first years of my military service that I used as a standard for my career. I wish that he could have known the impact he had on me and the things I accomplished because of his leadership
Wednesday, June 14, 2000
I was his S-3 NCO, with him at LZ Sharon the night he was killed by a mortar round dropped on the officers’ bunker. The spotter was in the church tower, the VC mortar team was killed, and I flew back to the rear with his body, he was a fine officer.
Posted by: Plt Sgt. E-7 L.J. Adams RVN 1967-68
Relationship: We served together
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Medals to be found on:
http://army.togetherweserved.com/army/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=SBVTimeLine&type=Person&ID=64151
- Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
- Date of birth: 9 October 1930
- Date of death: 15 March 1968
- County: Hamilton
- Service Branch: Army
- Division/Assignment: 8th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division
- Conflict: Vietnam
- Awards: Air Medal, Purple Heart
- Burial/Memorial Location: Maplewood Cemetery, Pulaski, Giles County, TN
- Location In Memorial: Pillar XXIII, Top Panel
- Contact us to sponsor Howard P. Petty
