Thomas Dry HOWIE

12 April 1908
from  Abbeville CAROLINE DU NORD

Married: Elisabeth T PAYNE in 1932
Daughter: Sally

Parents: Torrance Victor Howie & Cora Ann Dry Howie

Siblings: Henry S, Ruth Howie Plaster, Victoria Howie Kerr, Ralph Howie, Elizabeth E & Franklin S.

Batallion commander

Map of Normandy American Cemetery

President of his class, star and captain of the baseball team

He taught English and was a coach at the military academy of Staunton, Virginia

In 1934, he joined the National Guard of Virginia, at this time, part of the 29th Infantry Division

In 1938 he becomes a dad with little Sally’s birth.

In 1941, the 29th Infantry Division became active.

In 1941, he commanded the Company L of the 3rd Battalion of the 116th Infantry Regiment as a 2nd Lieutenant.

In September 1942, the 29th Infantry Division embarked to England

On June 6, 1944 at 7.30 AM, he landed at Omaha Beach with the second assault wave.

On July 13, 1944, he took command of the 3rd Battalion.

The next morning, the order is given to take the town of Saint Lô.

On July 17, 1944, during a mortars barrage, Major Howie was deadly hit in the back by a shell burst.

On July 18, 1944, the 3rd Battalion entered Saint Lô.

General Major Charles Gerhardt instructed Major Howie’s dead body to be introduced into the town, so Major Howie would be the first American to enter. Major Howie’s corps got into the town in a jeep.

	His body was deposited on the top of the Holy Cross Church ’s ruins.

In 1945, the military academy of Staunton created the Howie rifle to perpetuate the idea of leadership and courage.

According to some speculations, Major Howie might have inspired Captain Miller’s character (Tom Hanks) in the movie Saving Private Ryan.

There would be similitudes in the personality but also in his activities (coach, English teacher).

29^th INFANTRY DIVISION - BLUE AND GRAY

Activated/Activé	Normandy/Normandie
3 Feb 1941	Days of Combat/Jour de Combat  242
	Casualties/Victimes 20 620
Entered Combat/Entré au combat
6 Jun1944 D-Day
Commanding Generals/Commandants généraux Maj. Gen. Milton A. Reckord (Feb 41 - Jan 42) Maj. Gen. Leonard T. Gerow (Feb 42 - Jul 43) Maj. Gen. Charles H. Gerhardt (Jul 43 - inactivation)	Campaigns/Campagnes Normandy (6 Jun 44 - 24 Jul 44) Northern France (25 Jul 44 - 14 Sep 44) Rhineland (15 Sep 44 - 21 Mar 45) Central Europe (22 Mar 45 - 11 May 45)
PLAN DE ROUTE DE LA CAMPAGNE - CAMPAIGN ROUTE MAP
DIVISION CHRONICLE The 29th Infantry Division trained in Scotland and England for the crosschannel invasion, October 1942-June 1944. Teamed with the 1st Division, a regiment of the 29th (116th Infantry) was in the first assault wave to hit the beaches at Normandy on D-day, 6 June 1944. Landing on Omaha Beach on the same day in the face of intense enemy fire, the Division soon secured the bluff tops and occupied Isigny, 9 June. The Division cut across the Elle River and advanced slowly toward St. Lo, fighting bitterly in the Normandy hedge rows. After taking St. Lo, 18 July 1944, the Division joined in the battle for Vire, capturing that strongly held city, 7 August. Turning west, the 29th took part in the assault on Brest, 25 August-18 September 1944. After a short rest, the Division moved to defensive positions along the Teveren-Geilenkirchen line in Germany and maintained those positions through October. (In mid-October the 116th Infantry took part in the fighting at the Aachen Gap.) On 16 November the Division began its drive to the Roer, blasting its way through Siersdorf, Setterich, Durboslar, and Bettendorf, and reaching the Roer by the end of the month. Heavy fighting reduced Julich Sportplatz and the Hasenfeld Gut, 8 December. From 8 December 1944 to 23 February 1945, the Division held defensive positions along the Roer and prepared for the offensive. The attack jumped off across the Roer, 23 February, and carried the Division through Julich, Broich, Immerath, and Titz, to Munchen-Gladbach, 1 March 1945. The Division was out of combat in March. In early April the 116th Infantry helped mop up in the Ruhr area. On 19 April 1945 the Division pushed to the Elbe and held defensive positions until 4 May. Meanwhile, the 175th Infantry cleared the Klotze Forest. After VE-day, the Division was on military government duty in the Bremen enclave.	CHRONIQUE DE DIVISION La 29th Infantry Division s'entraîna en Ecosse et en Angleterre pour l'invasion crosschannel, d'octobre 1942 à juin 1944. En équipe avec la 1st Division, un régiment du 29th (116th Infantry) se trouvait dans la première vague d'assaut pour frapper les plages de Normandie. Le 6 juin 1944, débarquant à Omaha Beach, le même jour, face à un feu nourri de l'ennemi, la division s'empara bientôt des falaises et occupa Isigny, le 9 juin. La Division traversa la rivière Elle et s'avança lentement vers Saint-Lô, se battant amèrement dans les rangées de haies de Normandie. Après avoir pris St. Lo, le 18 juillet 1944, la division se joignit à la bataille de Vire pour s'emparer de cette ville fortement occupée, le 7 août. Tournant vers l'ouest, le 29 a pris part à l'assaut sur Brest, 25 août-18 septembre 1944. Après un court repos, la division a déménagé à des positions défensives le long de la ligne Teveren-Geilenkirchen en Allemagne et a maintenu ces positions jusqu'en octobre. (À la mi-octobre, le 116e régiment d'infanterie prit part aux combats à Aix-la-Chapelle.) Le 16 novembre, la division commença sa route vers la Roer, traversant Siersdorf, Setterich, Durboslar et Bettendorf, et atteignant la Roer par la fin du mois. Les combats intenses ont réduit Julich Sportplatz et le Hasenfeld Gut, le 8 décembre. Du 8 décembre 1944 au 23 février 1945, la division occupe des positions défensives le long de la Roer et se prépare à l'offensive. L'attaque a sauté à travers le Roer, le 23 février, et a porté la Division par l'intermédiaire de Julich, Broich, Immerath, et Titz, à Munchen-Gladbach, le 1er mars 1945. La Division était hors combat en mars. Au début du mois d'avril, le 116th Infantry a aidé à nettoyer la région de la Ruhr. Le 19 avril 1945, la division pousse vers l'Elbe et occupe des positions défensives jusqu'au 4 mai. Pendant ce temps, le 175th Infantry a dégagé la forêt de Klotze. Après le jour de la victoire, la division était en service militaire dans l'enclave de Brême.

In a broadcast on an anniversary of V-E Day, CBS News European Correspondent Andy Rooney said in a report on the Battle of St Lo

More American soldiers were killed taking Saint Lo than were killed on the beaches.

A major named Tom Howie was the leader of the battalion that actually captured Saint Lo.

At least he was the leader of it until he was killed just outside town.

After he died, his men picked him up, carried him into town and placed him on a pile of stones that used to be the wall of a church.

I guess there never was an American soldier more honored by what the people who loved him did for him after he died.

There can be no doubt that Thomas Howie was a charismatic leader, a courageous soldier and a man of outstanding character.

Those traits were evident when, eight months before he was killed, Thomas Howie wrote the following letter to his daughter, Sally

Four days ago, I was placed in command of some 850-odd officers and men, a war-strength battalion, with all its weapons, vehicles and equipment; and the responsibility of some day committing them to battle perhaps from which a number may not return is a fearful thought.

If that day should ever arrive, I hope I shall be as proud of them as I've always been of you.

And I hope they will be well led.

I cannot honestly say that I hope I shall never have that privilege and responsibility.

It's something like football: somebody has to play the game; somebody has to beat the enemy.

And all my life, I've tried to make the first team in everything.

Sitting on the bench when game time comes is no consolation for weeks of bruising drudgery.

I know.

I did some bench-sitting initially in everything I set my heart on.

And I've been sitting on the bench and training hard for almost three years now.

Remember what I told you: sit up straight, look people in the eye, and tell the truth.

With all my heart

Your Daddy