Herman L. Bowman
Date of Birth: January 16, 1925
Place of Birth: Manhattan, KS
Father and Mother’s Names: Herman A. Bowman and Martha Hatch
Spouse and Children's Names: Ella Jean Rector Woodman (wife); stepchildren Becky, Barb, and Greg.
Date Entered Service: September 28, 1944 at Ft. Leavenworth
Service Branch: Army
Rank/Specialty: Staff Sergeant
Service ID: TBD
Division/Company/Unit info: 128th Infantry Regiment, 32nd (Red Arrow) Infantry Division
Awards and Commendations: Combat Infantryman’s Badge and the Bronze Star.
Riley Connection: Herman Bowman was born in Manhattan where he would remain a lifelong resident.
Date of Death (Age): October 16, 2013 (age 88) in Manhattan, Kansas
Grave Location: Pleasant Valley Cemetery, Zeandale, Kansas
Bio: Herman “Babe” Bowman grew up in Manhattan, graduated from Manhattan High School, and was a lifelong resident of Manhattan. At the age of 19, he enlisted in the U.S. Army in Sept. 1944, and he trained in Texas and at Ft. Ord, CA, to be an infantryman. He served with a machine gun squad with the 128th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division, which served on the Villa Verde Trail in the Philippines. The 32nd Infantry Division, known as the Red Arrow Men, faced some of the most bitter fighting of World War II as they fought to liberate the Philippine Islands from Japanese control. The men experienced heavy combat over a period of 119 days to advance 20 miles in rugged jungle conditions. The Division’s hard fighting resulted in the surrender of the Japanese General Tomoyuki Yamashita. By the end of the war, the 32nd Infantry Division had logged 654 days of combat, which was more than any other U.S. Army division.
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Babe was the youngest brother of Charlie and Jim Bowman and best friends with Alfred “Bud” Woodman, and all three of them also served in World War II. According to his family, Babe was not quite as mischievous as his brothers and was always known as the guy you could count on to stay on the straight and narrow and always do the right thing. He was a bricklayer by trade, who mentored many kids in Manhattan, teaching them the tricks of his trade. He was known for the beautiful fireplaces he would design and build in homes throughout the area. He was also known for his love of animals, especially dogs. Later in life, he fulfilled his promise to Bud to take care of his family and took over operations of the Woodman family business (Fairmont Trailer Court, which is now a ballpark on the east side of town). He married Bud's widow, Jean Woodman, in 1967 and helped her raise her three kids -- Becky, Barb, and Greg -- as his own, fulfilling the promise he made to Bud before his death in 1962.
Herman “Babe” Bowman died of heart failure in 2013 at the age of 88.
