John Sylvester HOWE

"Johnny"

Parents : Horace & Addie HOWE 

Married with Alma Adele HARRISON 

Daughter Annis Dale HOWE 

Map of Normandy American Cemetery

John Sylvester Howe ("Johnny," as his family and friends called him) was born on March 21, 1919, to Horace and Addie Howe, in Jamaica, Georgia, a rural community near Brunswick.

He was the fourth of eight children. As a very young man, he worked in turpentine or picking tobacco to help the family.

Later he worked in a grocery store in Jacksonville, Florida. He was fun-loving and enjoyed playing the guitar and singing.

Daddy enlisted in the National Guard and was called to active duty on November 25, 1940.

He trained at Camp Blanding, near Jacksonville, Florida, and was a member of the 31st Infantry Division, 124th Infantry Regiment, Company G.

In 1942 they went to Louisiana on maneuvers. He was later stationed at Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia, then Fort Jackson, South Carolina, in October 1943.

In January 1944 he was sent to Camp Atterbury, Indiana, where he was assigned to the 30th Division, 119th Infantry Regiment, Company C, which had already been there for about two months.

On February 1, they were transported by train to Boston, Massachusetts. They had been issued "light" clothes, so they thought they were going to the Pacific, but wondered why they were headed east.

When they arrived at Camp Myles Standish on February 2, they were told to exchange their "light" clothes for "heavy" clothes; and they left for England on February 12, 1944 aboard the SS Brazil during a blinding snowstorm.

They arrived in Liverpool, England, on February 22, 1944 and proceeded to the south coast of England by train, where they conducted intensive training until they left for France. The 119th arrived in France from June 10th to June 14th and evidently saw combat almost immediately.

His last letter was dated July 7th, just before days of intense fighting. According to research, I believe he was one of nine members of the 119th killed by a mortar attack on the morning of July 12, north of Pont Hebert.

My mother, Alma Harrison, and my father were married on February 7, 1943, during one of his trips home from Ft. Benning, Georgia.

She was able to be with him in Ft. Benning for a few months, but returned home to Brunswick to await my birth.

His last trip home was unexpected and happened to be the day that I was born, December 24, 1943.

Thankfully, he was there and was able to hold and kiss me, but had to leave in just two short days. Mama didn't know that it would be the last time she ever saw him.

Johnny's Dear Mother Addie in black floral dress, surrounded by 5 of 8 children in 1948

30^th  INFANTRY DIVISION - OLD HICKORY

Activated/Activé	Normandy/Normandie
16 Sep 1940	Days of Combat/Jour de Combat  282
	Casualties/Victimes  18 446
Entered Combat/Entré au combat
11 Jun 44 Normandy
Commanding Generals/Commandants généraux Maj. Gen. Henry D. Russell (Sep 40 - Apr 42) Maj. Gen. William H. Simpson (May 42 - Jul 42) Maj. Gen. Leland S. Hobbs (Sep 42 - Sep 45)	Campaigns/Campagnes Normandy (6 Jun 44 - 24 Jul 44) Northern France (25 Jul 44 - 14 Sep 44) Rhineland (15 Sep 44 - 21 Mar 45) Ardennes-Alsace (16 Dec 44 - 25 Jan 45) Central Europe (22 Mar 45 - 11 May 45)
PLAN DE ROUTE DE LA CAMPAGNE - CAMPAIGN ROUTE MAP
DIVISION CHRONICLE The 30th Infantry Division arrived in England, 22 February 1944, and trained until June. It landed at Omaha Beach, Normandy, 15 June 1944, secured the Vire-et-Taute Canal, crossed the Vire River, 7 July, and, beginning on 25 July spearheaded the St. Lo break-through. The day after the Division relieved the 1st Infantry Division near Mortain on 6 August, the German drive to Avranches began. Fighting in place with all available personnel, the 30th frustrated enemy plans and broke the enemy spearhead in a week of violent struggle, 7 to 12 August. The Division drove east through Belgium, crossing the Meuse River at Vise and Liege, 10 September. Elements entered Holland on the 12th, and Maastricht fell the next day. Taking up positions along the Wurm River, the 30th launched its attack on the Siegfried Line, 2 October 1944, and succeeded in contacting the 1st Division, 16 October, and encircling Aachen. After a rest period, the Division eliminated an enemy salient northeast of Aachen, 16 November, pushed to the Inde River at Altdorf, 28 November, then moved to rest areas. On 17 December the Division rushed south to the Malmedy-Stavelot area to help block the powerful enemy drive in the Battle of the Ardennes. It launched a counteroffensive on 13 January 1945 and reached a point 2 miles south of St. Vith, 26 January, before leaving the Battle of the Bulge and moving to an assembly area near Lierneux, 27 January, and to another near Aachen to prepare for the Roer offensive. The Roer River was crossed, 23 February 1945, near Julich. The 30th moved back for training and rehabilitation, 6 March, and on 24 March made its assault crossing of the Rhine. It pursued the enemy across Germany, mopping up enemy pockets of resistance, took Hamelin, 7 April, Braunschweig on the 12th, and helped reduce Magdeburg on the 17th. The Russians were contacted at Grunewald on the Elbe River. After a short occupation period, the 30th began moving for home, arriving 19 August 1945.	CHRONIQUE DE DIVISION La 30th Infantry Division arrive en Angleterre le 22 février 1944 et s'entraîne jusqu'en juin. Il débarqua à Omaha Beach, en Normandie, le 15 juin 1944, sécurisa le canal de Vire-et-Taute, traversa la Vire, le 7 juillet, et, à partir du 25 juillet, fut le fer de lance de la percée de Saint-Lo. Le lendemain de la relève de la 1re division d'infanterie près de Mortain, le 6 août, la division allemande a commencé à Avranches. Combattant avec tout le personnel disponible, le 30ème ennemi frustré projette et brise le fer de lance ennemi dans une semaine de lutte violente, du 7 au 12 août. La Division a traversé la Belgique en traversant la Meuse à Vise et Liège, le 10 septembre. Les éléments sont entrés en Hollande le 12 et Maastricht est tombé le lendemain. Prenant position le long de la rivière Wurm, le 30 a lancé son attaque sur la ligne Siegfried, le 2 octobre 1944, et a réussi à contacter la 1re Division, le 16 octobre, et à encercler Aix-la-Chapelle. Après une période de repos, la Division a éliminé un saillant ennemi au nord-est d'Aix-la-Chapelle, le 16 novembre, a été poussée sur l'Inde à Altdorf, le 28 novembre, puis s'est déplacée vers des aires de repos. Le 17 décembre, la Division s'est précipitée vers le sud, dans la région de Malmedy-Stavelot, pour bloquer la puissante campagne ennemie de la bataille des Ardennes. Il lança une contre-offensive le 13 janvier 1945 et atteignit un point situé à 2 milles au sud de Saint-Vith, le 26 janvier, avant de quitter la bataille des Ardennes et de se rendre dans une zone de rassemblement près de Lierneux le 27 janvier. l'offensive Roer. La rivière Roer fut traversée, le 23 février 1945, près de Julich. Le 30 mars est revenu à l'entraînement et à la réhabilitation, le 6 mars, et le 24 mars, il a effectué son assaut en traversant le Rhin. Il a poursuivi l'ennemi à travers l'Allemagne, nettoyé les poches de résistance ennemies, pris Hamelin, le 7 avril, Braunschweig le 12, et aidé à réduire Magdeburg le 17. Les Russes ont été contactés à Grunewald sur l'Elbe. Après une courte période d'occupation, le 30 a commencé à déménager pour la maison, arrivant le 19 août 1945.