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LTC (Ret.) Louis L. Toth (Co H.) died December
24, 2003 at age 84..
As a child he came to the United States from Czechoslovakia with
his family. He was educated in the Corunna, Michigan public schools and
enlisted in the Michigan National Guard..
While in the OCS at Fort Benning, Georgia he volunteered for the
Airborne. He was assigned as a 2nd Lieutenant to the 508 Parachute
Infantry Regiment at Camp Blanding, Florida where he became commander of H
Company.
He jumped into Normandy on D-Day, where he was wounded and
evacuated to England. He recovered in time to make the jump into Holland
on September 17, 1944 with H Company. His company was credited with the
liberation of Beek and Bergen-Dahl. In the book "In Water and Fire" by
Dutch underground writer, Margot van Boldrik he was depicted as a "...
tiger of a man."
Leading H company in a counter attack against German tanks
attempting to recapture these key villages, Toth was wounded and evacuated
for hospitalization in England.
He returned to H company in December 1944 in time to take part in
the 508's counter offensive against German tanks and infantry in the
Battle of the Bulge. Wounded for the third time, he was evacuated through
British lines to England.
He returned to the 508 and took over command of H Company in
Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany as honor guard to General Eisenhower at SHAEF
Headquarters.
Returning to the United States in 1946, Louis Toth was assigned to
duty in Columbia, South Carolina.
Soon after he married Marjorie Powers Toth he was sent to Korea in
the Fall of 1950 . He was given command of K Company, 38th Infantry, 2nd
Infantry Division. He was promoted to Major and then promoted to
Lieutenant Colonel and given command of 3rd Battalion, 38th Infantry. His
actions in the fight known as Massacre Valley and subsequently into the
Punch Bowl region resulted in his fourth battle wound and the awarding of
the Silver Star.
He retired from the US Army in 1960 and returned to Columbia, South
Carolina with his growing family.
He was buried with full military honors at Greenwood [sic] Memorial Park,
Columbia, S.C..
He is survived by his wife, Marjorie Powers Toth, a son and three
daughters and nine grandchildren.
Send condolences to:
Mrs. Marjorie Toth, 4603 Carter Hill Rd.,
Columbia, SC 29206-4602
Appeared in 508th PIR Newsletter,
Spring 2004 Edition |
COLUMBIA - Funeral services for Lt.
Col. Louis L. Toth (Ret.), 84, will be held Saturday at 3 p.m. at
Incarnation Lutheran Church. Interment with full military rites will
follow in Greenlawn Memorial Park. Visitation will be Friday 4-6 p.m. at
Dunbar Funeral Home, Devine Street Chapel. Memorials may be made to
Incarnation Lutheran Church.
Louis, a highly decorated veteran of
World War II and Korea, died Wednesday, December 24, 2003. Born in
Czechoslovakia, he came to the U.S. as a child, an event marked by his
name's being enrolled on the Wall of Honor on Ellis Island in New York
Harbor, and settled with his family near Corunna, Mich. Educated in the
Corunna public school system, he enlisted in the Michigan National Guard
and was serving in G Company, 125th Infantry, 32nd Division, when the
unit was called to active duty in response to the attack on Pearl
Harbor. Louis volunteered for Officer Candidate School (OCS) at Fort
Benning, Ga. Just prior to graduating from OCS in June of 1942, Louis
volunteered for Airborne training. Proudly wearing his newly awarded
parachute wings, he was assigned as a second lieutenant to the then
forming 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR). Louis was named acting
company commander, and along with his young acting first sergeant, he
participated in the activation of the H Company, 3rd Battalion, 508th
PIR in the "Frying Pan" area of Fort Benning, Ga. Four years later, in
1946, Louis once again stood in command of H Company as it was
deactivated following the War's end.
During his service in the 508th,
Louis jumped into Normandy and spent 15 days behind enemy lines
attempting to link up with his unit prior to being wounded and evacuated
to England. After recovering from his wounds, he rejoined the 508th and
assumed command of H Company during the preparation for the jump into
Holland. During Operation Market-Garden, his company was credited with
the liberation of the Dutch villages of Beek and Berg-en Dahl, and is
cited in the Dutch book, In Water and Fire, as a "tiger of a
man." Wounded in leading H Company in a counterattack against German
tanks attempting to recapture these key villages, Louis was once again
evacuated back to England. Once he recovered from these latest wounds,
he again returned to command H Company in the Battle of the Bulge. Again
leading H Company in the thick of things against German tanks and
infantry, Louis was wounded for a third time and eventually was
evacuated back through the British lines to England. Upon his recovery,
wearing the Bronze Star with V for valor, three purple hearts, the
coveted Combat Infantryman Badge, and two stars on his jump wings, Louis
and H company were rejoined, but this time as part of the Regimental
Honor Guard in Frankfurt, Germany, guarding Ike's Headquarters. Louis's
last time commanding H Company was at its deactivation in 1946.
When he returned to the states,
Louis was assigned to Reserve Component Duty in Columbia. While serving,
from 1946 to 1950, as an Infantry instructor with Reserve Infantrymen
throughout the Palmetto State, Louis met and soon married his wife of 56
years, Marjorie Powers Toth. This couple's joy was not theirs to enjoy
together for long because Louis was sent to Korea in the fall of 1950.
Soon after arriving in Korea, Louis was given command of K Company, 38th
Infantry, 2nd Infantry Division. Louis was soon promoted to major, and
even more quickly promoted to lieutenant colonel and given command of
3rd Battalion, 38th Infantry. During his command, the Battalion was
involved in extremely heavy combat in serving as the rear guard for the
2nd Division's withdrawal into South Korea. His actions in what became
known as Massacre Valley and subsequently into the Punch Bowl region
resulted in his fourth wound and the awarding of the Silver Star.
His remaining time in service was
spent with the Military Intelligence community. He served as the
intelligence officer for the U.S. Caribbean Command and subsequently at
the Military Intelligence School as the director of Combat Intelligence.
He retired from the U.S. Army in 1962.
Soon after his retirement, Louis
returned to Columbia with a family in tow. For the next 24 years, Louis
was employed by the U.S. Postal Service, but worked at being husband,
father, grandfather, coach, Sunday School teacher and Meals on Wheels
volunteer. Upon his second retirement, he was able to focus all his
energy on that title that gave him most joy: Granddaddy.
Surviving are his wife; son and
daughter-in-law, Louis L. Toth Jr. and Renae Combs Toth; daughters and
sons-in-law, Cathy Toth Sturkie and Dr. D. Kinly Sturkie of Clemson,
Teena Toth Hanly and LTC (Ret.) Patrick D. Hanly of Columbia, and
Allison Toth Martin and David L. Martin of Columbia; and a brother,
Joseph S. Gradick of Durand, Mich. The pride of his life, his
grandchildren, are Brandon Powers Toth, Gage Powers Toth and Jason Luke
Toth; Cassandra Sturkie of Washington, D.C., and Shannon Sturkie of
Athens, Ga.; Cullen Patrick Hanly and Keaton Patrick Hanly; and Toth
David Martin and Mella Rose Martin. Louis was predeceased by his
brother, Stephan Toth.
The family wants to thank all the
professional caregivers and staff of Providence Hospital. All their
efforts are greatly appreciated.
(The State, Columbia, SC, 26
Dec 2003, page B6 - courtesy of Tedd Cocker) |
