Jeanette Early

Ms. Early has three sons (including twins) whose father, Howard Lee Early, SFC/USA, was killed in action in Vietnam, February 19, 1969. Her sons were five (5) and (4) years-of-age at the time of their father’s death.

Ms. Early is a Past National President of Gold Star Wives of America, presided (2011-2013). Gold Star Wives (GSW), founded in 1945, is a non-profit National service organization chartered by the United States Congress consisting of widows and widowers whose spouses died on active duty while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States of America, or died as a result of a service-connected disability.  Ms. Early has held various positions in the GSW organization: National President, National Vice President, National Community Chairperson, and Southwest Region President, including President, Secretary and Treasurer of the Denver Chapter. She is currently a member of the Government Relations Committee and the Ethics Committee of GSW.

In February 2013, Ms. Early was honored to participate in a video presentation, a Dan Lyons production for Black History Month for the Education Center at the Wall. The video was produced in honor of her late husband, SFC Howard Lee Early, in which she recalled memories of him and the impact of his death in the Vietnam War.

After her husband’s death in Vietnam, she and her three sons moved from Louisiana to Houston, Texas where she studied at McMahon College for Court Reporting and achieved typing speed of 160 wpm on the stenograph machine.  Currently, Ms. Early is honorably serving on the Vietnam War Commemoration Advisory Committee in Washington, DC representing Gold Star Wives and families.