🙂 He was Major Gress when I knew him with HML-367 in 69 at Phu-Bai. He was XO for a while and a heck of a pilot. His co-pilot that day was Capt. Cuddy, I can't remember for sure but I think the crew-chief was Dennis Thomas from Mich. They were trying to pull a recon team out of a ---- sandwich that included a step-son of James Stewart the Air Force Gen. and actor. I believe John Beauchamp was crew-chief of his chase bird that day. Lost touch after he left RVN but he was a hell of a nice guy with a great sense of humor.

What was Howie's real first name, and do you have a MI? I could not find a Howard Gress, but have phone numbers on about a dozen H. Gress with several different MI's. I'm sure one of these is him. Allyn Hinton

🙂 Sorry Allyn but I was a snuffy, so as far as I was concerned his first name was either Major or Sir. Semper Fi Sunny.

Maj Howard K Gress Jr

Maj Howard K Gress Jr.
Silver Star
HMM-265
8June69

Howey Gress

I knew Howey when he went through VMO-5 at Pendleton in 1967 where I was an instructor pilot in the UH1-E. The last I saw of him was in Alpine, Texas where he was teaching at Sull Ross Univ. This was in about 1999. He had retired there and I happened to be passing through and stopped at a washateria across the street from the Univ. to wash some cloths. I was wearing my VMO-2 Danang hat and this tall guy walked in with some cloths in a sack and I thought "boy he sure looks familiar". Well, he saw my hat and came over and asked me where I got it and that led us to a "where/when/who" discussion and we discovered who we were talking to. We had a nice long chat about old times and old friends and that was that. To my knowledge he still resides in Alpine, Texas. If any of you contact him tell him I said hello.

Early Spiars

Howard Gress

Al;
I don't question your findings of "Silver Star" or date of "8 Jun 69", but not with HMM-265.

How can you forget Howie Gress?

I first met Howie at MCAS Yuma in the O-Club about March-April 1964. I was a 2nd Lt and he was a Major. We became a pool team and made a few bucks. I don't remember why he was in Yuma. I was an 6703 Air Defence Radar Officer. I do remember that he told me he had left the Corps and flew choppers in Chicago and then came back in. I was from Chicago.

I next saw Howie in DaNang in June - July 1965. He had a dog named "Sticky-Nea?" I was in the TACC. Do not know what unit he was in at that time.

I was thinking about him and looked him up on the web and ended up here. I did see that he was awarded a Silver Star in 1969 but cold not find any details. His name is not on the Wall so I do not believe that he died in Nam.

He would be in his mid to late 70's if he is still around.

Please let me know if you find him.

John Croll

Allyn if it's the same Howie Gress I know his name is Howard[Howie] D. Gress.
He was a Capt in HMM264 with me on Solant Amity 1 to Africa and then joined HMM162 with me in Vietnam in 1963. Heck of a H34 pilot!!