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John Roderick Towle

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John Roderick Towle Famous memorial Veteran

Birth
Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, USA
Death
21 Sep 1944 (aged 19)
Oosterhout, Overbetuwe Municipality, Gelderland, Netherlands
Burial
Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, USA GPS-Latitude: 41.4415, Longitude: -81.6027
Plot
Section 60, Lot 53, Grave 1
Memorial ID
View Source
World War II Medal of Honor Recipient. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he served as a Private in Company C, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne, US Army. On September 21, 1944, near Oosterhout, Holland, Private Towle served as rocket launcher gunner occupying a defensive position in the west sector. When a strong enemy force of approximately 100 infantry supported by 2 tanks and a half-track formed for a counterattack, Private Towle left his foxhole and fired his rocket launcher hitting both tanks to his immediate front. He then engaged a nearby house which 9 Germans had entered and with 1 round killed all 9. Replenishing his supply of ammunition, he rushed to an exposed position from which he could engage the enemy half-track with his rocket launcher. While firing on the enemy vehicle, he was mortally wounded by a mortar shell. Through his efforts, he saved the lives of many of his comrades and was directly instrumental in breaking up the enemy counterattack. For gallantry in the face of the enemy, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on March 15, 1945.
World War II Medal of Honor Recipient. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he served as a Private in Company C, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne, US Army. On September 21, 1944, near Oosterhout, Holland, Private Towle served as rocket launcher gunner occupying a defensive position in the west sector. When a strong enemy force of approximately 100 infantry supported by 2 tanks and a half-track formed for a counterattack, Private Towle left his foxhole and fired his rocket launcher hitting both tanks to his immediate front. He then engaged a nearby house which 9 Germans had entered and with 1 round killed all 9. Replenishing his supply of ammunition, he rushed to an exposed position from which he could engage the enemy half-track with his rocket launcher. While firing on the enemy vehicle, he was mortally wounded by a mortar shell. Through his efforts, he saved the lives of many of his comrades and was directly instrumental in breaking up the enemy counterattack. For gallantry in the face of the enemy, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on March 15, 1945.

Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith


Inscription

Medal of Honor
Pvt US Army
World War II



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  • Maintained by: Find a Grave
  • Originally Created by: Joyce
  • Added: Sep 7, 2001
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/5747281/john_roderick-towle: accessed ), memorial page for John Roderick Towle (19 Oct 1924–21 Sep 1944), Find a Grave Memorial ID 5747281, citing Calvary Cemetery, Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, USA; Maintained by Find a Grave.