Thomas Howard Tackaberry was a lieutenant general in the United States Army. He was a veteran of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War and was a recipient of three Distinguished Service Crosses and served as Commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps from 1979 to 1981."Described as a 'grunt's angel', Lt. Gen. Tackaberry was devoted to his men, not only ensuring they were always supplied for the fight but physically prepared as well. Leading from the front, Lt. Gen. Tackaberry set a high bar for fitness with his men and led them on long training runs", stated Richard Hudson to the 115th congressional session on May 19, 2017. Tackaberry is one of the highly decorated officers in the U.S. Army. He ranks among the 10 most decorated military servicemembers in the U.S. military history.
Years of Service
U.S. Army Reserve 1942-1943 U.S. Army 1943-1981 World War II 1942-1945 Cold War 1945-1981 Korean War 1952-1953 Vietnam War 1966-1967, 1969-1970
Korean War
In 1952, while serving as a company commander, he earned the Distinguished Service Cross for heroism near Chorwon, Korea when he voluntarily went to relieve a patrol which had lost its commander. Tackaberry directed the soldiers back toward their own lines and personally covered their retreat at the risk of his own life. He also received two Silver Stars for his service in Korea.
Vietnam War
In 1966 Tackaberry was serving in Vietnam as a lieutenant colonel and earned another Distinguished Service Cross ||Distinguished Service Cross for heroism near Bồng Sơn, South Vietnam, when he led a search and destroy operation in which a 15-man platoon was pinned down and its leader killed. He then ordered his unarmed command helicopter to land near the firefight and ran through intense enemy fire to reach the platoon and assume command. When reinforcements arrived, he led an assault on enemy bunkers, forcing the larger North Vietnamese force to retreat. In 1969, he had been promoted to colonelColonel||colonel and was the brigade commander of the 196th Infantry Brigade when he earned a third Distinguished Service Cross, making him one of the few individuals who had earned three or more Distinguished Service Crosses. Tackaberry also received three more Silver Stars for his service in Vietnam. He then served as Chief of Staff of the 23rd Infantry Division.
