European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 6, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Of St. Log the life and legend of Thomas Howiey Cindy Killio Washington Bureau Washington a War stories tend to take on a life of their own blending fact and fiction to create something More than reality. That show legends Are born and such is the talc of maj. Thomas Howie the a major of  his Story became a rallying Point for the men of the 29th inf div for the Allied forces and even for the folks Back Home but what the men heard and the people read Wasny to necessarily the truth. Omaha Beach Veteran Bob Slaughter of Roanoke va., was in the Battle for St.-l6. He said a Ernie Pyle and some other combat reporters got hold of the Story and it just grew and grew. A sure he was a great Guy but there were a lot of great men who died  the legend goes like this Thomas Howie was the much beloved commander of 3rd in 116th inf regt 29th inf div. The Staunton va., native was killed july 17, 1944, by a sniper while leading his men into the Battle for St.-l6, a town about 15 Miles Inland from Normandy Beach. As he Lay dying the embellished Story goes his last request was that he be taken into the town. His men were so distraught Over his death that they fulfilled this wish by carrying their fallen Leader on their shoulders so he could be the first one there. And then Laid him in state in the ruins of the  Church. 1 he new York times reported that a the Rode in his Hist Battle. Behind him tramped what was left of his battalion boys turned into veterans veterans with a score to Settle. For the major thus achieving his purpose thus carrying out his orders. Lay in state at the head of his  correspondent Joseph Auslander wrote this poem which was published in life Magazine. A they Rode him propped straight and proud and tall through  Gates he told the lads he led a. A a Quot a that they would be the first at  fall but that was yesterday and he was dead some sniper put a Bullet through his head. So ride Soldier in your Dusty dizzy jeep. Into the town they took for you to keep a the real Story reads More like this Howie was 3rd in commander. He held command for five Days before he died. And he was killed july 17 by a random mortar fragment not by a sniper. And the men who knew him liked and respected his leadership but after six weeks of almost daily Battles his unit had attrition so High that few men were left who knew him. He never asked to be4aken into St to. The closest thing he said was that morning on the radio when he told the regimental commander a the would see him in  before signing off. The battalion executive officer William h. Puntenney was with Howie when he died. He wrote in his personal journal about that Day. A a. It was 0820, 10 minutes till we moved out our command group was spread out along a a amps Michael Abram a Monument at , France honors the heroism of 29th inf div maj. Thomas Howie. Hedgerow on Martinville Ridge. Nearby there were several trenches that the germans had dug. A Showie and i were standing together talking when at least six mortar rounds landed in the Orchard. The shrapnel seemed to be everywhere. I saw Howie fall to the ground and i knew he had been hit. I got him under the arms and pulled him to one of the trenches. Howie was trying to breathe but he was bleeding from the Mouth. A the gasped a Bill in a hit bad i called for a medic but Howie slumped lifeless in my arms. He was dead within two  Puntenney told the stars and stripes a Tom Howie was a tremendous Man a born Leader. Head been a teacher and coach at the Staunton military Academy and was a graduate of the Citadel. So even though he was Only in his Early 30s, the men looked to him As an experienced  Puntenney said he did no to think Howiey a death affected the men much. A Showie was new and by then there had been so Many deaths that one More did no to make much  Slaughter agreed. A i remember walking into St. To and i saw this body draped in a Flag lying in the Church. I asked some Guys who it was and they said a its major  a i just said a of a and kept walking. There had been so much death that it did no to affect me at  be part of the Story that Puntenney tells i today should have become part of the legend. A Howie had been the regimental operations officer when he was Given command of the battalion. Puntenney was also in a regimental staff position and was told to be the executive officer. A we drove As far As we could to reach the battalion but enemy shelling kept us from going All the Way in. So we left the jeep and walked the rest of the Way a Puntenney said. A when we got there Tom sat Down and looked at his boots. He said these things have had it. Bill do you think you can find me another pair a a i got it and Tom put them on and just smiled. He nodded and said a these Are great. They re going to last me to the end of the  a amps Michorl Abram a bust of Howie is part of the St.-l6 Monument. A the was right they lasted till the end of his War a Puntenney said. When the Days Battle ended Puntenney went Back to the Trench to find Howiey a body. �?o1 asked some men where it was and they said they a moved it to the other Side of the hedgerow with other bodies. I walked around and recognized Howie even though All the bodies were covered because his boots were sticking out. I recognized the  Puntenney said that a couple of Days later after St. L6 fell he looked for Howiey a body again. And again it Wasny to there. The body was in . But the troops Hadnot spontaneously taken it there As a tribute to their fallen Leader. The 29th inf div commander ordered it to be moved. Puntenney said a after the Battle maj. Gen. Charlesh Gerhardt asked one of his staff officers a whereas Tom Howie a the officer replied a sir Tom Howie is  whereas the general snapped a Damn it i know that i want you to fake his body into .�?T a Gerhardt reasoned Puntenney believes that the Victory was for the living As Well As for the dead. A through Howie the fallen were to participate in the culmination of our efforts a Puntenney said., Slaughter said a i think Gerhardt Felt guilty a a about Howie because Al head treated him pretty  he explained that huh Howie had been in command of the regiments 1st in before the invasion. A but when Gerhardt came in to take Over the division he relieved All commanders that he had personality conflicts with and Howie was one of them. They just did no to get  Slaughter said a it destroyed Howie. Emotionally to lose his command and Gerhardt was somehow trying to make up for  and Slaughter said Gerhardt had found the perfect Soldier to hold up to the Media and the Public As a hero. A Showie was a quiet studious Well liked Many he was the perfect  in retrospect Slaughter wonders if Gerhardt would do it again. A i wonder if Gerhardt would do the same thing if he knew that through that action Howie s Fame would outlast  s&5 Michael Abrams Howie is buried at Normandy american cemetery. 50 a stars and stripes commemorative edition june 6, 1994