Biography

Maj. Thomas D. Howie, USA

Class of 1929

Hometown: Abbeville, SC

• "The Major of St. Lo," Howie was in command of 3d Battalion, 116th Regiment, 29th Infantry Division, when he was killed by a mortar fragment on 17 July 1944, just after giving the order to attack the strategic town of Saint-Lô, France.  A teacher and coach before the war, Howie's friendly and calm demeanor made him one of the Regiment's most beloved leaders.  Howie was a true soldier-leader who placed the well-bing of his men first and led his men from the front during the D-Day landing on Omaha Beach and as commander of the "breakout battalion" from the Normandy beachhead. The photograph of his body covered with the American flag on the ruins of St. Croix Cathedral in St. Lo, was widely circulated in media, and became one of the iconic scenes of World War II.
• The town of Saint-Lô was a major strategic objective of the allied forces to facilitate their breakout from the Normandy beachhead.  Howie had landed on Omaha Beach with the 116th Regiment on D-Day 6 June 1944.  He was given command of the 3rd Battalion on 13 July, and three days later his battalion was ordered to rescue the 2d Battalion that had become surrounded by enemy forces and nearly out of food and ammunition.  Despite being at half strength and ordered to use only hand grenades and bayonets, Howie's men broke through the German forces on the “Martinsville Line” and rescued their comrades in less than 2 hours.  Howie personally led the attack and eliminated 2 enemy machine gun nests.  Asked by the Division Commander Major General Charles Gerhardt, if he could take the town of St Lo, Howie replied he could do it, and told Gerhardt "See you in St. Lo;" then issued orders for the attack. Moments later he was killed by shrapnel during a mortar attack.
• The next day after fierce fighting, US forces entered Saint-Lô, with Howie's body placed on the hood of the lead jeep.  This was at Gerhard's request, so that Howie would be the first American to enter the town. The photograph of Howie's flag-draped body that had been placed in the rubble of the St. Croix cathedral, became one of the most iconic images of the war.  Because of wartime security Howie's name could not be revealed, so New York Times correspondent Drew Middleton dubbed Howie "The Major of St. Lo." Howie was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Croix de Guerre with Palm.  He is buried in the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, Normandy, France.
• Both print and video documentary have been made of Howie's heroic and important action.   Collier's magazine printed a story, "The Major of St. Lo" that was made into an episode of the TV show Cavalcade of America broadcast on June 5, 1956.  In 1969 as part of the 25th Anniversary of D-Day the town of St. Lo dedicated a large memorial to Howie and a plaque is on the cathedral at the site where his body had laid.  His classmates Charles and Hugh Daniel dedicated the Thomas Dry Howie Memorial Carillon on The Citadel campus in his memory.