John R. Towle

The citizens of Oosterhout marched in a parade in Private Towle's honor and renamed a street in the village after him on the morning of September 21, 2019, on the 75th anniversary of his heroism and their liberation.

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.

Private John Roderick Towle (October 19, 1924 – September 21, 1944) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.

John Towle was born on October 19, 1924, the son of William Levi Towle and Mary Simkins. He had an older brother and two younger sisters. During World War II, Towle joined the United States Army in March 1943.,