Thomas Dry HowieApril 12, 1908 – July 17,

1944

Thomas Dry Howie, II

Thomas Dry Howie, IV

Thomas Dry Howie, III

“Tom”

“Tige”

“Dry”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwTlIo8FOI4

Birth• April 12, 1908 Abbeville, SC. Named for his uncle, Thomas

Dry, Tom was the 5th of seven children born to Torrance Victor, a railroad supervisor, and Cora Dry Howie.

Raised• Much liked and respected, Tom was raised in a small

house built by his father on Pickney St. in Abbeville.

The Citadel 1925• Phi Beta Kappa• Class President• Football or Rhodes

Marriage*• 1932• Elizabeth

Payne• Aunt Tee

Career• SMA Faculty 1929• Taught French,

English & Spanish

• Head Football Coach & AD

• Won 4 VMSL Football Titles

• Alumni Secretary• 12 years at SMA

Fatherhood• Sally Howie McDevitt

Born 1938

Off To War –Called to active duty in 1941

2nd Lt. 116 Virginia National Guard Infantry, 29th Division

Spent approximately 2 years in England training for D-Day

The 116th was the spearhead unit on Omaha Beach on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

The total number of troops landed on D-Day was around 150,000 roughly half US and half Commonwealth.

By the end of 11 June 326,547 troops, 54,186 vehicles and 104,428 tons of supplies

By June 30 over 850,000 men, 148,000 vehicles, and 570,000 tons of supplies.

By July 4 one million men had been landed. They had advanced about 30 miles inland.

•Hand to Hand

•Inch by Inch

•Tiger Tank

•Operation

Cobra-Air

Power

Major Tom Howie fatally wounded July 17, 1944 by German mortar fire.

His men kept his word.

The Beaches -4000 American Killed

The Battle for St Lo Resulted in the Deaths of 7,113 American Soldiers

Thomas Dry Howie April 12, 1908 – July 17, 1944

Casket of Honor in ST. LO• Atop the rubbled ruins

of St. Croix Church in St. Lo, the body of an American Major lies draped with the Stars and Stripes while in the foreground his men continue to battle in a crater turned into a machine gun post. The Major was killed leading his battalion into the hinge city of the Nazi defense line in Western Normandy which fell to American forces July 18, 1944.

"...Just in case your history books don't mention it, let me tell you what happened July 18, here at St. Lo.  We broke through the German lines finally when we took their little city. Up until that point, we couldn't get any of our men off the beaches. It was sort of sad, though, because we ruined this little town of St. Lo. We had to do it to get the Germans out. More American soldiers were killed here taking St. Lo, than were killed on the beaches.  A major named Tom Howie was the leader of the battalion that actually captured St. Lo. At least he was the leader of it until he was killed just outside town. After he died, his men picked him up and carried him into town and put him on a pile of stones that used to be the wall of this church. I guess there never was an American soldier who was more honored by what the people who loved him did for him after he died."

Saint Lo, France Staunton Military

Academy Abbeville, SC SC Hall of Fame The Citadel Fort A.P. Hill, VA D-Day honor from

the 111th Congress Saving Private Ryan

Virginia Women’s Institute for Leadership

Colleville sur Mer Nat. Guard Amories

in Staunton, VA and Greenwood, SC

Staunton “Braves” Nat. Guard in

Winchester, VA

PLAQUE ON CHURCH HOWIE CIRCLE

HOWIE RIFLES

The Howie Rifles were established in 1945 to perpetuate the ideals, leadership, and courage exemplified by Major Thomas Dry Howie. Major Howie, for many years a member of the SMA Faculty, distinguished himself in the battle of "St. Lo", a major battle during the Normandy Invasion of World War II.

DEDICATED 1947 RE-DEDICATED 2007 Once residing in the alcove of Kable

Hall, the Howie bust honored the SMA teacher, coach, alumni secretary, and the Commander, U.S. Army 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Division.

Returned to its original place at what is now Mary Baldwin College. The bust is now guarded by the Howie Rifles of the Virginia Women’s Institute for Leadership

Thomas Dry Howie Carillon

Hon. Frank R. Wolf US House of Reps.

YouTube Cinema

• “The Major of St. Lo”• “Saving Private

Ryan”

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.