Russell Howard was born in New England, Hettinger County, North Dakota on January 5, 1924, to Leroy and Maude Ethel Pringey Howard. He entered the United States Navy on January 14, 1943, and trained in Minot, North Dakota, Sioux City, Iowa, Saint Mary's, California, Corpus Christi, Texas, and Miami, Florida. Ensign Howard was killed off the coast of Hollywood, Broward County, Florida in an airplane training accident over the Atlantic Ocean in preparation to enter WWII on June 17, 1944.