CPL Howard H. Hebert
Corporal (CPL) Howard Henry Hebert of Able Battery, 907th Glider Field Artillery Battalion (GFAB), 101st Airborne Division, was born near Lecompte, Rapides Parish, Louisiana, to Frank J. and Georgia E. (Hearn) Hebert on May 20, 1920.
He had six brothers, Willie F., Edward N., John T., Aubrey E., Huey L., and Floyd A., and one sister, Clara (Hebert) Bower.
His brother Floyd died in infancy in 1935, at eight months old. His brother, Edward, was a medic with the 82nd Airborne Division during World War II. John Hebert decided to join the U.S. Marine Corps at age 17 when he learned of Howard’s death at Bastogne. His younger brother, Aubrey, served as a staff sergeant with a tank armored division in the Korean War. The youngest brother, Huey, born in 1931, entered the U.S. Air Force service at the age of 17 and would serve abroad in Okinawa, Japan, returning home in 1951.
Howard Hebert enlisted in the U.S. Army in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on March 14, 1942. He is mentioned in two different unit lists created by George Koskimaki – as a private in HQ and HQ Battery of the 101st Airborne Division Artillery, and the other as a corporal in Able Battery, 907th GFAB.
CPL Hebert was killed in action on December 21, 1944, when the 101st Airborne was fighting the Germans at Bastogne. The circumstances of his death are unknown, but since he is not mentioned in the casualty list of the 907th After Action Report of Bastogne, compiled by the battalion commander, LTC Clarence Nelson, he was probably assigned to the HQ & HQ Battery, 101st Airborne Division Artillery, at the time.
Another Screaming Eagle had soared to the ultimate height. 🦅
CPL Howard Hebert was first buried at the temporary military cemetery at Hamm, Luxembourg. His remains arrived home on Thursday, August 5, 1948, and he was reburied that day. He rests eternally at the Alexandria National Cemetery, Pineville, Rapides Parish, Louisiana.
May he rest in peace.
Happy Birthday in Heaven, Howard. Lest we forget. 🇺🇸
Sources
907th GFAB AAR, December 1944; March 7, 1945 (Courtesy Felipe Jirkal)
The Weekly Town Talk; Saturday, August 7, 1948 (Courtesy of Candy Reardon Estrada)