“When the going gets tough, the tough get going,” aptly describes Howard LeRoy Hellerstedt. Born in Moose Lake, MN to Ebba and LeRoy Hellerstedt, he was the elder brother of five sisters (Ann, Mary, Carol, Lois, and Amy) who loved him. Howard lived with his grandparents for the first few years of his life, learning to drive a farm tractor at age four. In junior high and high school, he was a stock boy earning 50 cents an hour.
He was an outstanding student, athlete, and leader in high school. While a member of the National Honor Society, he was co-captain for two years in football and earned All-State honors as a senior, and he lettered in shot put, yet participated in Boys State, Key Club, and won the American Legion’s oratory medal. He was also a member of the yearbook staff, the debate club and the band. These experiences, as well as his characteristic hard work and service orientation, made for an easy transition into West Point.
As a cadet, his reputation for intelligence, hard work, teamwork, and helpfulness were well deserved. In addition to maintaining a high class standing, he found time for extracurricular activities, such as the Cadet Band, Portuguese and Military Affairs Clubs, and the Class Committee. He was a staunch Lutheran and had a personal relationship with God that remained important to him throughout his life. He was always friendly and willing to help other cadets in academics and other challenges of cadet life. He formed many strong friendships while demonstrating his leadership in the company and in athletics.
While he was always determined to win, he was also a real gentleman who played by the rules throughout life. Due to a broken neck suffered on the West Point ski slope, he endured many additional pushups in Jump School since he could no longer tuck in his chin sufficiently. No problem for Howard. His Army orientation assignment was Fort Wainwright, AK in the summer of 1967, when Fairbanks experienced one of the worst floods in Alaskan history; as always, Howard pitched in to help. He was a leader on the intramural football team, and on the “Engineers” in the annual game against the “Goats.” He developed great card sense, understanding the “cards he was dealt” and devising a strategy to improve his odds of success, which served him as well in combat as in poker, and that lasted throughout his life.
Howard and Barbara Ann Erikson graduated within three days of each other, and they married at Fort Snelling, MN on July 19, 1969. Subsequently, they had three sons whose births tracked some of their military assignments: Mark at Fort Belvoir, VA; Lieutenant Colonel Ryan in Heidelberg, Germany; and Jeff in Australia. Howard was a hard-working, determined, kind, and loving role model to his family.
Following Airborne, Ranger, and Engineer Officer Basic Schools, they headed to Germany, but in a very short time Howard volunteered for Vietnam. His main Combat Engineer task there was keeping the airfield at Khe Sanh open, while absorbing mortar attacks and repelling assaults. This very challenging assignment earned him a Bronze Star for valor and took all of his leadership skills to maintain discipline and morale. His unit was aptly nicknamed “Hell’s Boys.”
After Vietnam, Howard went back to Fort Belvoir for the Engineer Officer Advanced Course, then he earned a master’s in construction management at the University of Illinois. He returned to Germany, where he earned the first of his four Meritorious Service Medals, commanding a company and being an operations officer, while also earning an MBA. The whole family was excited to go to Australia as Howard was the exchange officer to the Royal Australian First Field Engineer Regiment, outside of Sydney. Howard was assigned to West Point to teach in the Office of Military Instruction, followed by a journey to the Naval Command and General Staff College in Newport, RI. He was then “re-greened” at Fort Bragg, NC in the 1st Corps Support Command and as Director of Engineering and Housing, earning his last Meritorious Service Medal. His military career concluded as the deputy district engineer in Savannah, GA, earning a Legion of Merit. Along the way, Howard was also recognized for his leadership and accomplishments by being promoted to major ahead of most of his class. Such accolades never went to Howard’s head. He simply took on his next assignment and continued to be approachable and friendly.
In the private sector, Howard continued to take on challenges. He was the president and general manager of a 30,000-person planned community (Bella Vista, AR); he privatized the Fort Eustis, VA public works department; he installed sensors along the southern borders of Texas and Arizona; and he managed a counterterrorism program for Virginia Department of Transportation. He continued his education, becoming a Registered Professional Engineer, a prestigious CCM (certified construction manager), and a certified water plant operator. Cruelly, Howard’s high level of intelligence began to wane as Alzheimer’s took over, and he succumbed to it a few years later.
Howard was a successful leader of men, as evidenced by those who knew him and readily gravitated toward him. Never a negative word was heard about this great man of high integrity and loyalty. He will be remembered as a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, soldier, manager, and friend.
— Hellerstedt Family and ’69 Classmates