Frank
Henry
Henry
COL · HQ ·
In-Country Service
–
Home of Record
Franklin, North Carolina
Character of Service
Honorable
Archive Status
Active
Built entirely from a short VHPA memorial listing and the matching Army Aviation Hall of Fame (Quad-A) induction biography (1992) — no unit records, ORLLs, or firsthand accounts yet checked directly against his service. Photo and the saved HTML copy of the VHPA page supplied by Michael. If you served with or knew COL Frank "Happy Tiger" Henry, please use the contribute form to share what you remember.
1965
Arrived
First Vietnam tour — aide to Gen. Kinnard, then XO of 2/7 Cav
Brought to Vietnam by BG Harry W.O. Kinnard as his aide when the 11th Air Assault Division (Test) was redesignated the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). Reassigned about three months later as Executive Officer, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry.
1968-10
Battalion Command (estimated)
Took command of 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry — "Stone Mountain 6" (estimated)
Returned to Vietnam for a second tour in 1968-69 and took command of 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry, radio call sign "Stone Mountain 6" — very likely the "Colonel Henry" named in CPT Henry Colavita's memoir. Start date is an estimate (per Michael), based on a roughly 6-month command-rotation pattern following predecessor LTC John V. Gibney's 16 March 1968 start; not yet confirmed against a unit record. See soldiers/gibney-john.
1968-12-04
Chicken Valley
Advised D Company during the "Chicken Valley" ambush and night attack
Per Colavita's memoir, advised Colavita and Charlie Company's commander, Captain Gonzales, to hold their joint perimeter overnight on the chance the captured cache was the COSVN headquarters — a decision credited with giving both companies time to prepare for the massive NVA assault that followed. See events/operation-sheridan-sabre-1968-12-04 and documents/colavita-henry/colavita-henry-verbal-account-dec4-1968.
1969-03-25
Returned Home
Returned from his second Vietnam tour; visited Franklin, NC
A local Franklin, NC newspaper reported his visit home the week of approximately March 25, 1969, having "just completed a second tour of duty in Vietnam" as an infantry battalion commander with the 1st Cavalry Division. His next duty station was Fort Benning, Georgia. Family (wife Emma Lee Higdon Henry, of Asheville, and children Frank Joseph, Samuel Lee, and Debora) planned to join him there once the school year ended. See henry-frank-back-from-vietnam-transcript.
1976-03-28
Brigade Command
Took command of the 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)
Began his third tour of duty at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, as commander of the 101st's 3rd Brigade.
1977-06-27
Chief of Staff
Became Chief of Staff, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)
Succeeded the retiring COL Ted A. Crozier as Chief of Staff at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
1977-08-12
Passed Away
COL Frank Leonidas Henry dies at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, age 44
Died at 11:55 p.m. Friday of a Berry (saccular) cerebral aneurysm, pronounced dead on arrival at Fort Campbell Hospital's emergency room, seven weeks into his tenure as Chief of Staff, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). Buried with full military honors, Section 5, Arlington National Cemetery. Survived by his wife, five children, and his mother, Catherine B. Henry, of Franklin, NC — his hometown. Inducted into the Army Aviation Hall of Fame in 1992. See henry-frank-new-chief-of-staff-dies-transcript.
Did You Know Frank, or Serve Alongside Frank?
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