Howard Phillips Hart was a true American Hero. A Patriot. A Warrior.  A great man you probably never heard of because he worked for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).  A few of his accomplishments are now in public records, including his obituary published in the Washington Post, and even on a Wikipedia entry. 

Please take the time to read those two pieces.  A few of the highlights are: Spending his early years (age 1 to 5) in a Japanese POW camp in the Philippines.  In 1979 he was CIA Station Chief in Teheran when the Islamists deposed the Shah and took over our embassy.  While helping CIA assets escape he was severely beaten by Iranian thugs (two of whom he killed). He went back to Iran as part of the aborted Desert One rescue attempt.  From 1981-1984 he was Station Chief in Pakistan, executing the highly successful gun running operation arming the Afghan rebels against the Russians.  He later ran the CIA’s Counternarcotics Center.  Hart retired in 1991 at a level equivalent to a 3 star general, and was later honored as one of the CIA’s "Top 50 Trailblazers.”

Howard was a friend of ours, as well as a customer, and we helped him buy or sell many items ranging from some of the arms made for the Afghans (which later found their way to the surplus market) to a WW2 jeep and command car.  Howard and his wife were avid arms collectors and were extremely generous in donating a major arms collection to the Virginia War Memorial Museum in Richmond, and another significant collection to the National WW2 Museum in New Orleans. However, as a unrelenting collector, he continued to add to his personal collection of firearms and accessories related to American military history.

Each of the guns from the Howard P Hart and Jean H. Hart Collection will be accompanied by a certificate of provenance to the Hart Collection, and a copy of the autobiography of this most remarkable American (see description below).

Many of us have read novels about intelligence operatives written by Vince Flynn, Daniel Silva, Brad Thor, or Alex Berensen and wondered if there really are people like that.  Thankfully we do have real men (and women) who put their lives on the line for the sake of our country doing secret deeds.  Howard Hart was such a person.  There are 117 gold stars carved into the marble wall at the entrance to CIA Headquarters, honoring agency personnel who died in the line of duty.  But for exceptional luck, and skill, Howard Hart could have earned a star there. 

We also encourage you to purchase and read Howard Hart’s book (written mainly so his grandchildren would know something about his life) and learn more about where we get such men and some of the work they do.  Many of his actions remain classified and will never be published.  The book is available from Amazon for $18.94 and is something every American should read, especially today's younger generations. A Life for A Life: A Memoir: My Career in Espionage Working for the Central Intelligence Agency