Hamilton H . Howze Hamilton Hawkins Howze ( December 21 , 1908 – December 8 , 1998 ) was born in West Point , New York , while his father , Major General Robert Lee Howze , an 1888 West Point graduate , was serving as Commandant of West Point . Early career . Howze attended West Point , graduating in the Class of 1930 . He was commissioned into the 6th Cavalry . In WWII he served as the commanders of : 2nd Battalion , 13th Armor Regiment ( 1943 ) ; 13th Armor Regiment ( 1943 – 44 ) ; 1st Armored Division , Italy ( 1944 – 45 ) . After the war Howze served as the G - 3 of the 1st Armored Division in 1946 . Three years later he attended the National War College , which was followed by an assignment in the office of the G - 2 from 1949 to 1952 . After promotion to Brigadier General in 1952 he became Assistant Commanding General , 2nd Armored Division , European Command , until 1954 . Air Mobile . Howze is recognized as the intellectual force behind the concept of air - mobility and current US Army Aviation doctrine . While serving as the first Director of Army Aviation , Department of the Army , from 1955 to 1958 , he developed new tactical principles for the employment of Army Aviation , and was instrumental in helping the Aviation Center and School become fully established in its new home at Fort Rucker , Alabama . He then became Commanding General of the 82d Airborne Division . In 1961 , as Chairman of the Tactical Mobility Requirements Board , Howze led the development in airmobile theory and doctrine . The Army ' s adoption of the recommendations in the Howze Board changed mobile warfare . Its revolutionary concepts - based on the use of aviation - changed military attitudes in a similar manner to the way the tank affected ideas on mobility 50 years earlier . Two years later the 11th Air Assault Division was formed to test and validate these concepts . As a result of Howze ' s leadership , foresight and perception , two air - mobile divisions were eventually established . These divisions , which still adhere to the fundamentals of Howze ' s air - mobility doctrine , have gone on to provide mobile and combined arms capabilities that are required in today ' s ground combat conditions . Final commands . LTG Howze served as the commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps from 1961 – 1962 and briefly acting Commanding General , Third Army from 1962 - 1963 . His last assignment was as Commanding General , Eighth Army , Commander - in - Chief of U . S . Forces in Korea , a four - star United Nations command position involving U . S . and R . O . K . troops , from 1963 to 1965 . General Howze retired from active duty in 1965 to Fort Worth , Texas . Retirement . Howze remained active after leaving the Army and became an executive and consultant for Bell Helicopter in Fort Worth . As a 1957 Charter Member of the Army Aviation Association of America ( AAAA ) , he served for four years as the organization ' s Senior Vice President and President . He was also a member of the Army Aviation Hall of Fame and was the Chairman of the AAAA ’ s Board of Trustees . He died on December 8 , 1998 , and was buried next to his father at the United States Military Academy Post Cemetery . The " “ Howze Gunnery Award ” " is presented by the AAAA and is sponsored by Rockwell International Corporation ( in the memory of General Hamilton H . Howze ) , and is presented annually to the top AH - 1 & AH - 64 crew in the annual GEN Hamilton H . Howze Gunnery Competition . Past awardees include CW2 John S . Van Buren & 1LT Michael J . Blatz , B Company , 1st Battalion , 3rd Avn . Regiment , 2nd Armored Div . , APO NY ( 1989 ) , WO1 Jose E . Trejeda & CW2 John L . Kercheville , AH - 1 crew , C & D Trps , 1 - 7 Cavalry , 1st Cav Div , Ft . Hood , TX ( 1991 ) , and CW2 Jarrett R . Brewer & WO1 Kevin E . Smith , AH - 64 crew , C Troop , 6th Cav Regt , Ft . Hood , TX ( 1991 ) . Popular culture . General Howze was represented in a fictional account of W . E . B . Griffin ' s " Brotherhood of War " series as General " Triple H " Howard .