Thomas D . Howie 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 . The photo of Howie ' s flag - draped body in the rubble of the St . Croix cathedral was widely circulated in the United States and became one of the most iconic images of the war ; because of wartime security Howie ' s name could not be revealed , so it was famed New York Times correspondent Drew Middleton who dubbed Howie " The Major of St . Lo " . " 60 Minutes " commentator Andy Rooney , then a reporter with the " Stars and Stripes " newspaper , witnessed the event and called it " one of the truly heartwarming and emotional scenes of a gruesome and frightful war " . 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 made into an episode of the TV show " Cavalcade of America " that was broadcast on June 5 , 1956 , with Peter Graves playing the part of Howie . The bell tower on the campus of The Citadel is named in Howie ' s memory and a mural of his body being carried into St . Lo is one of a series on school history displayed in Daniel Library . Staunton Military Academy honored him by establishing a drill team called the Howie Rifles , which is now part of the Army ROTC detachment at Mary Baldwin College . Howie was posthumously awarded the Silver Star , the Bronze Star , the Purple Heart , and the French Legion of Honor ; he is buried at the Normandy American Cemetery . Howie ' s story was prominently featured in the book " Citizen Soldiers " by renowned historian Stephen Ambrose ; after having served as a script consultant on the movie " Saving Private Ryan " , he indicated that Howie was the model for the Tom Hanks character of Captain John Miller .