SSgt Howard Lee Showers was born on October 16, 1919 in Pensacola, Florida, the son of William "Willie" Showers (-1959) and Nancy Sauers (1890-1936). In 1920, his father was working in a meat market but for most of his life he was a laborer during the Great Depression. Howard's mother would pass away in 1936 leaving his father with three children to raise in those difficult economic times.
Perhaps because of this, Howard left school early and finally enlisted in the US Army on February 22, 1941. He was sent to Camp Blanding, Florida for processing and orientation before being assigned to the 30th Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Infantry Division at Ft. Jackson, SC. During one of his leaves, he came home in 1942 to Pensacola and married Mrs. Irene L. Elsperman of 624 East Garden Street. The regiment was finally sent overseas on February 11, 1944 to prepare for the invasion of Europe. After the initial landing on D-Day, the 3rd Division joined the "break-out" forces and fought their way across France.
As they drove toward the German border, the 30th Infantry pushed into the Colmar area on December 15th, 1944 with the 2nd and 3rd Battalions in the lead and the 1st following close behind. They proceeded into the mountains through the Bonhomme Pass and on to capture the city of Kayserberg, France by December 20th. From then to the 16th of January 1945, the regiment held an extended front from Beblenheim to Ammerscwihr. On the 17th, the regiment boarded a train for the eventual attack into the Colmar Pocket. The regiment disembarked at Guemar on January 22nd, along with the 15th Infantry before pushing through the Colmar woods, arriving at the Maison Rouge Bridge the next day. With the 1st Battalion clearing out enemy resistance within the Reidwihr woods, the Germans counterattacked with a full assault including armor before launching into a full retreat. The casualties sustained by the regiment during the battle of the Colmar Pocket was 201 killed, 676 wounded and 293 missing.
One of those killed in action on January 23, 1945 at the Maison Rouge Bridge was SSgt. Howard Lee Showers of Pensacola. His body was carried back to the rear echelon aid station but sadly he was dead on arrival. His wife and family were notified of his demise and his subsequent burial in a military cemetery. After the war, his widow chose to leave him buried in the Military Cemetery in Lorraine, France among his fallen comrades where he rests peacefully today.
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