Original Item: Only One Available. This may just look like an ordinary desk name plate, but after you learn about Captain Earl C. Horan Jr and his story, you will definitely change your opinion.

The name plate itself features the U.S. Army Special Forces Group with Airborne Tab painted on the left. The middle displays his name and rank:

EARL C HORAN JR
CAPT INFANTRY

On the right hand side is a painted United States Army Special Forces distinctive unit insignia; the World War II V-42 stiletto fighting knife in the middle of the unit insignia and 2 crossed arrows facing point upwards. The motto De oppresso liber is present within the insignia as well. The motto is traditionally believed to mean "to free from oppression" or "to liberate the oppressed" in Latin.

The name plate measures in at 11” x 3” and about ½ inch thick.

It's in overall good condition and easily readable with all colors still vibrant. Unfortunately there is a thin crack running the length of the plate just above the name.

Earl Campbell Horan Jr. was born into the military family of Colonel Earl Horan Sr. and Margaret Horan. His formative years were spent in Alabama, where his father was Professor of Military Science and Commandant of Marion Military Institute. Earl Jr. was so eager to join the Army that at 17 he joined the Alabama National Guard as a truck driver. Earl completed two years of college at Marion Institute before fulfilling his dream of attending West Point. Earl was a gifted athlete in high school and was sought after by many of the Southeastern colleges. His love of sports continued through his cadet days to his officer days, during which he was outstanding in the field events of Europe’s track and field competitions. In his 40s, Earl began running marathons, which was a testimony to his athletic skills and perseverance.

Earl arrived at West Point tall, talented, laid back and full of humor. He truly was one of a kind and treated plebe year as an adventure not to be missed. His levity in Beast Barracks brought all of the new cadets comic relief, which unfortunately was coupled with many pushups, although Earl was seldom caught. When Earl would march the plebes from North Area through South Area enroute to the academic buildings, he had the ability to bring the upperclassmen located in South Area to the point of a frenzy. His antics throughout the four years endeared him to his classmates but were not always well received by the Tactical Department. Consequently, early on Earl became a member of the Century Club. There was a Don Quixote quality to Earl because he never failed to see windmills that needed to be tilted, yet never at the expense of others. He was an excellent athlete, a good student (at least when the chips were down), and he had a few experiences with the Academic Department. Earl possessed one annoying trait, at least to his roommates: He always attracted the best looking girls. He was a talented musician with the guitar and enjoyed four years with the Glee Club, appearing on the Ed Sullivan show among other highlights. Music was very important to Earl, and he played and sang whenever possible, and his room in the barracks was never dull.

Upon graduation, Earl joined the Infantry. After completion of the Infantry basic course and Ranger and Airborne schools, Earl was enroute to his first assignment in Berlin, Germany, only to be met on the drop zone after his final jump by the lovely Leiser, his girlfriend from the University of Alabama, whom he had been dating for a couple of years. Leiser led him in his airborne fatigue to the Justice of the Peace in Cusseta, GA, where they were married. Thus began a wonderful love story, only to be interrupted after Earl’s retirement by the untimely death of Leiser.

At his first assignment in Berlin he worked at both CheckPoint Charlie and in Spandau Prison. After Berlin, Earl’s career followed the usual pattern of young Infantry officers in the 1960s and 1970s: Berlin; Fort Bragg, NC; Vietnam; Fort Benning, GA; Vietnam; ROTC; then Fort Campbell, KY; followed by Fort Leavenworth, KS; Japan, Leavenworth, Bragg, and Grenada. It was during his first assignment at Fort Bragg that Earl became Special Forces qualified and experienced his first combat tour in Vietnam with the 5th Special Forces. Earl returned from Vietnam to Fort Benning in 1966. While there he became very involved with the cast and crew making the film The Green Beret. The director was so taken with Earl that he named the fictitious SF camp in the movie after Earl’s camp in Vietnam. Earl taught John Wayne how to be a Green Beret. Not a bad accomplishment by a young captain. Throughout his career, and especially in combat, Earl displayed calm leadership and coolness under fire, which earned him numerous awards for valor, including the Silver Star, two bronze stars, and various other medals, awards and accommodations.

In addition to his combat tours with Special Forces and the Phoenix Program, Earl served as a company commander at the Infantry Center at Fort Benning. He was the assistant PMS at Murray State in Kentucky. Later, he was the S-3 of the 3d Battalion, 187th PIR, 101st Airborne Division. After attendance at the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Earl was assigned to IX Corps at Camp Zama, Japan. He returned to Fort Leavenworth on the faculty of CGSC. His next assignment was to XVIII Airborne Corps, where he was assigned as the deputy G-5. While with XVIII Airborne Corps, Earl participated in Operation Urgent Fury. Earl commanded the stay-behind force that helped the governor to stabilize Grenada. His actions in that capacity were so widely applauded that Earl became one of the Army’s foremost authorities on civic action, especially in a special warfare environment.

Earl’s final assignments were with the Special Warfare Center School, culminating as the deputy assistant commandant. It was in this last position that Earl was instrumental in establishing Special Forces as an independent branch within the Army.

After retirement from active duty, Earl and family remained in the Fayetteville, NC area. There Earl became active in real estate, his church, AUSA, Kiwanis and numerous civic and charitable organizations. He continued his love of music by playing the mandolin in the bluegrass band Foggy Mountain Boys.

Ret. Lt. Col. Earl Campbell Horan Jr.,  79, of Fayetteville, passed away on Saturday, Mar. 7, 2015.