Thomas D. Howie
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Thomas Dry Howie (April 12, 1908–July 17, 1944) was an American army officer, killed during the Battle of Normandy during World War II, while trying to capture the French town of Saint-Lô. He is known as "The Major of St. Lo".
Howie was born in Abbeville, South Carolina, and graduated in 1929 from The Citadel, where he was president of his class and a star halfback on the football team. He taught English and coached at Staunton Military Academy, then joined the Virginia National Guard.
Howie entered active duty with the 116th Infantry Regiment of the U.S. 29th Infantry Division in 1941, and landed at Omaha Beach on D-Day. A little more than a month later, on July 13, 1944, Major Howie was assigned to command the 3d Battalion. On July 16, the 3d Battalion used hand grenades and bayonets to break through the German lines and join the 2d Battalion, which was isolated and nearly out of food and ammunition. Howie left the 2nd Battalion to defend the position, reporting that they were "too cut up", and planned to use the 3d Battalion alone to capture Saint-Lô. On the morning of July 17, Howie phoned Major General Charles Gerhardt, said "See you in St. Lo", and issued orders for the attack. Shortly afterward, he was killed by shrapnel during a mortar attack. The next day, the 3d Battalion entered Saint-Lô, with Howie's body on the hood of the lead jeep, at Gerhard's request, so that Howie would be the first American to enter the town. Howie is buried at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial.
The town of Saint-Lô erected a monument to Howie. In 1956, Collier's magazine printed a story, "The Major of St. Lo" by Cornelius Ryan. It was televised on Cavalcade of America on June 5, 1956, with Peter Graves playing the part of Howie. Howie was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, and the French Legion of Honor.
It has often been speculated that the character of Captain John Miller in the film Saving Private Ryan, was loosely based on Howie in the sense that both men had parallel personalty traits as well as the fact that both men taught high school English and were both baseball coaches. Stephen Ambrose hinted at this during several interviews with casting.
