Howard O'Neal graduated from high school in Tennessee, and then enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps. At 19, he was a tail-gunner on a B-17 Flying Fortress and flew 35 missions over Germany. He attended the University of Tennessee, then enlisted as an aviation cadet in the USAF and was assigned to Troop Carriers (C-82's) at Rhein Main AFB, Germany. He then taught AF ROTC at the University of Pennsylvania, and was then assigned to SAC at Lockbourne, Ohio and served as an aircraft commander on a B-47. He enrolled in the AF Institute of Technology and received his B.S. Degree. As a squadron CO at Yokota, Japan, his squadron of B-57's was then deployed to Vietnam. He was the first pilot to drop bombs from a USAF aircraft. He became Base CO at Mather AFB, and then commanded the 635th Combat Support Group at U-Tapao, Thailand. He retired as Wing Commander at Hickam AFB in 1978.