Howard Julius Meyer was born June 22, 1896 in Pennsylvania, the oldest of at least five children born to William A. and Mary P. Meyer. After the birth of daughter Marie the Meyers moved to 510 Clinton Street in Camden, New Jersey, which is where they resided in June of 1900. William Meyer worked then as a wheelwright at a carriage works. The family later moved to 576 Auburn Street, where they lived when the 1904 City Directory was published.

When the census was taken in 1910, another daughter, Emeline, and a son, Norman, had been born, both in Camden. By then the family lived at 711 Carman Street. William Meyer was then working as a foreman in an automobile factory.

On October 13, 1915 Howard Meyer had married Helen C. Kellman, whose family lived at 2919 High Street in East Camden. 

On March 27, 1916 Howard J. Meyer enlisted as a private in the Pennsylvania National Guard. He was called to active duty almost immediately, and was on active duty June 22, 1916 through October 23, 1916. He was promoted to Corporal while on reserve duty on January 1, 1917. Corporal Meyer was recalled to active duty on March 23, 1917, and served under General Pershing along the Mexican border. His ability was soon recognized, and he was soon promoted to the rank of First Sergeant. During this time America entered World War I, formally declaring war on Germany on April 6, 1917. 

First Sergeant Meyer concluded his tour with the Pennsylvania National Guard on the Mexican border on August 4, 1917. He was drafted into Federal Service the following day, and was first sent to a training camp in Oklahoma for aviators, assigned to the Aviation Section of the Signal Officers Reserve Corps. On January 10, 1918 he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, and was promoted to First Lieutenant on February 1, 1918. He was called to active duty on March 2, 1918, and was soon in France.  

Upon arriving in France First Lieutenant Howard Meyer was put in charge of equipping planes with radio. Before the war ended, Howard Meyer had been promoted to the rank of Captain, and had served as a member of General Pershing’s staff, flew over the lines as an observer, and commanded an American training camp for pilots in France. He remained on active duty after the Armistice, and was promoted to the rank of Captain in the United States Army's Air Service on April 7, 1919. Captain Meyer was honorably discharged from active duty on august 6, 1919. He returned to the reserves, and was appointed Captain in the Signal Officers Reserve Corps of the United States Army on December 8, 1919, with the serial number of O-133181. On December 8, 1924 he received an appointment as Captain in the Untied States Army's Air Service, this however may have been as a reservist.

Captain Meyer returned to Camden and his wife Helen after the war. The Meyers settled at 2905 High Street, near her parents. Howard Meyer took a job with the Keystone Construction Company, and in 1923 began working on building what is today called the Ben Franklin Bridge over the Delaware River between Camden and Philadelphia. 

On May 22, 1926, while working 30 feet above the ground, Howard Meyer fell after his acetylene torch exploded. Taken to Cooper Hospital with two broken legs and internal injuries, he died shortly after midnight, with his wife by his side.

Howard Meyer was buried with full military honors at Arlington Cemetery in Pennsauken NJ.