James D. Howe

James Donnie Howe (December 17, 1948 – May 6, 1970) was a United States Marine who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions in May 1970 during the Vietnam War.

James Donnie Howe was born on December 17, 1948, in Six Mile, South Carolina, the first child and only son of Frances (née Pilgrim) and Odis Samuel Howe. He attended Six Mile and Pickens Elementary Schools, graduated from Cateeche Elementary School in Cateeche, South Carolina, in June 1960, and then attended Liberty Junior High School in Liberty, South Carolina, from September 1960 until June 1961. He was employed by Lloyd's Incorporated, a paint contractor, in Easley, South Carolina, prior to enlisting in the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve on October 31, 1968, in Fort Jackson, South Carolina. He was discharged on from the Reserves on December 29, 1968, and enlisted in the regular Marine Corps the following day. Private Howe received recruit training with the Recruit Training Battalion, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina, and individual combat training with the 2nd Infantry Training Battalion, 1st Infantry Training Regiment, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Promoted to private first class on June 4, 1969, Howe was transferred later that month to the Republic of Vietnam. He served as a rifleman and later, as a radio operator with Company I, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division. He was promoted to lance corporal on December 27, 1969. In the early morning hours of May 6, 1970, while serving as a rifleman on operations in Quang Nam Province, Republic of Vietnam, he was mortally wounded.

On May 19, 2004, the South Carolina General Assembly passed Joint Resolution 5294 commending native South Carolinian James D. Howe for his Medal of Honor actions.