Colonel Jerry B. Houston
Colonel Jerry B. Houston
Colonel Jerry B. Houston

Hometown: Fort Worth, Texas

Military Branch: Army

Years Served: 1963-1989

Rank: Colonel

Honors: Army Commendation Medal, Army Overseas Service Ribbon (With Numeral 3), Army Staff Identification Badge, Bronze Star Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Parachutist Badge, Ranger Tab, UTA Military Science Hall of Honor

Conflicts: Vietnam War

UTA Affiliation: Assistant Professor of Military Science

Biography:

Born in Fort Worth, Texas, Colonel Houston completed ROTC training and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant and awarded a BA in Psychology from UTA in 1963. He also holds an MBA degree from Central Michigan University.

His initial tour was as a company grade officer with the Army’s 5th Infantry Division in Fort Carson, Colorado. At Fort Carson, Colonel Houston was given command of an Airmobile battalion headquarters company deployed to Vietnam as an element of the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). After a stint at Fort Walters, Texas, he returned again to Vietnam as a company commander and brigade staff officer of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). After completing a tour of duty as Assistant Professor of Military Science at UTA, he transferred to Fort Hood, Texas where he served as Battalion S-3 (Operations Officer), 1st Battalion 50th Infantry and Division Operations Officer, 2d Armored Division, then as Secretary General Staff, Headquarters, 2d Armored Division.

After working in the Army’s material acquistions services, he was assigned to Saudia Arabia to command the Technical Assistant Field Team with the mission of training soldiers of the King Abdul Abzes mechanized Infantry Brigade, Saudi Arabian Land Forces, in the use of United States equipment purchased under foreign military sales.

Awards and decorations which Colonel Houston has received include: the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device (with two Oak Leaf Clusters), Meritorious Service Medal (with three Oak Leaf Clusters), Air Medals, Army Commendation Medal (with two Oak Leaf Clusters), Combat Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, Ranger Tab, and the Army Staff Identification Badge. In 1991 he was inducted into UTA’s Military Science Hall of Honor.

Interview Clips

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Interview Date: February 24, 2013

Summary:

During Mr. Houston’s two tours of duty in Vietnam, he experienced the death of his best friend in an ambush, but also met and married his wife. Mr. Houston speaks at length about his experiences in the military generally and Vietnam specifically.