Howard Miskelly was born on July 17, 1925, in Tylersville, Mississippi. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on October 19, 1943, and completed basic training at Camp Walter, Texas, in November 1943. After extensive training in the United States, Sgt Miskelly deployed to England in September 1944, and later that month he joined Company E, 406th Infantry Regiment of the 102nd Infantry Division in France. He fought with his unit during the Rhineland and Central Europe Campaigns from September 1944 to March 1945, and then served on occupation duty in Selb, Germany, and then in Ash, Czechoslovakia, until returning to the United States in April 1946. SSgt Miskelly received an honorable discharge from the Army on May 5, 1946.

Soldier's Creed:

I am an American Soldier.

I am a warrior and a member of a team.

I serve the people of the United States, and live the Army Values.

I will always place the mission first.

I will never accept defeat.

I will never quit.

I will never leave a fallen comrade.

I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills.

I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.

I am an expert and I am a professional.

I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy, the enemies of the United States of America in close combat.

I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.

I am an American Soldier.