Unit/Command: Company I, 3d Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein) FMF
Military Service Branch: U.S. Marine Corps
Medal of Honor Action Date: May 6, 1970
Medal of Honor Action Place: Republic of Vietnam
Citation
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a rifleman with Company I, during operations against enemy forces. In the early morning hours L/Cpl. Howe and two other marines were occupying a defensive position in a sandy beach area fronted by bamboo thickets. Enemy sappers suddenly launched a grenade attack against the position, utilizing the cover of darkness to carry out their assault. Following the initial explosions of the grenades, L/Cpl. Howe and his two comrades moved to a more advantageous position in order to return suppressive fire. When an enemy grenade landed in their midst, L/Cpl. Howe immediately shouted a warning and then threw himself upon the deadly missile, thereby protecting the lives of the fellow marines. His heroic and selfless action was in keeping with the finest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the U.S. Naval Service. He valiantly gave his life in the service of his country.
Medal of Honor Recipient James D. Howe
Additional Details
Accredited to: Fort Jackson, Richland County, South Carolina
Awarded Posthumously: Yes
Presentation Date & Details: September 15, 1971 The White House, presented by Vice Pres. Spiro T. Agnew to his family
Born: December 17, 1948, Six Mile, Pickens County, SC, United States
Died: May 6, 1970, Republic of Vietnam
Buried: Liberty Memorial Gardens Cemetery (MH), Liberty, SC, United States