He volunteered for the paratroopers, part of the U.S. Army's fledgling airborne forces, and was assigned to Company 'C' of the 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment (504th PIR), part of the 82nd "All American" Airborne Division, then commanded by Brigadier General James M. Gavin. On September 21, 1944, during Operation "Market Garden", near hamlet Oosterhout (Overbetuwe) in the Netherlands during the operation, Towle engaged a German force with his rocket launcher in an attempt to disable two enemy tanks and a half-track. He was killed during the battle. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor six months later, on March 15, 1945, making him the first member of the 82nd Airborne Division to be awarded the medal during World War II.