Old Hickory Recon, Memories of the 30th Infantry Division 1943-1945 - Marion M. Sanford

Posted for Old Hickory by Slipdigit:

After the meeting and the celebration was over with the Russians at Magdeburg, Old Hickory Division as moved to the city of Ottersleben. I believe that there are two cities by that name – a big on and little Ottersleben. Our division went to the little city, which was a small town in the farming area of Germany [southwest of Magdeburg].

At this time, the division was in the Army of Occupation. The Recon was given the job of cleaning the grass and weeds from the sugar beet fields. There were not any young German men around to do it. Old men and women and children were the only people there. The women and children got down on their hands and knees and pulled the grass and weeds from the sugar beets. Then they brought in the tractors and plowed the fields.

We were told that we could not fraternize with the Germans. That was a big joke! We had to communicate with them to get the job done. I believe, in fact I know, that there was some fraternizing going on. This was a fun time for the Recon-we had plenty to eat, the German girls were pretty, we had a nice river to swim in and the river had a lot of fish in it. We’d go down there with a quarter pound of TNT, put a fuse in it and throw it in the water. When it exploded, we kill the fish. While we were there we had several big fish fries.

Around the first of June in 1945, the Recon moved to the border of Czechoslovakia where we did scouting and patrolling. We had orders that if we saw a German soldier in an SS uniform, we were to bring him in. We didn’t see any SS uniforms, but we did find an American in a jeep there who was AWOL and we brought both in. The sent him back to his outfit.

We found out about this time that Old Hickory had been designated for redeployment in the Pacific. We would go through the United States, have a month of leave then get ready to go. We were told that we would be in on the invasion of Japan.

If you had 85 points, you could go home them-be out of the army. Most of them that went home did have 85 points. I had 83. We remained in the area until the 10th of July. Then we moved to Camp Oklahoma, Rheims, France. I believe that Frances Curry was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor while we were there.

Many of the men went on leave to Paris or Brussels and some went to London. I took 30 men to Rheims on afternoon. You know how young me are. We had not been there long when a fight broke out in on e of the restaurants. My brother’s outfit had been made into an MP unit. They came and took us to the stockade.

The next day, a lieutenant and my brother came in and talked to me. The lieut. asked me how long we were going to be there. I told him that I didn’t think very long, but I wasn’t sure when we would leave. He told me that if I would take this crowd back and promise not to come back and bring them anymore, then we could go back to the camp. I told them that I wouldn’t come or bring anyone back, but I couldn’t tell him that someone would not comeback [without me]. My brother still kids me about having to put me in jail. Someone asked me a while back, “What’d you do to him for putting you in jail?” I said, “I didn’t do anything. I’d have done the same thing to him if he’d been in my place and I’d been in his.”

 

Any more history in Septembre in Belgium for 30th Recon troop ?

 

Thank you for posting Old Hickory's story. What a great generation they were! So sad that we are losing so many.

 

I look forward to the book. Keep me posted on your progress.

 

Slipdigit-It's fantastic to see Old Hickory's story still evolving. I've been away for a while but its great to see, and also am very pleased to hear you are writing a book about his time in the service and thereafter.

 

Have a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! OLD HICKORY! God Bless You!

 

Slip,
Sounds like a good history. Thanks for the direction.

See if Old Hickory saw or heard of any of the persecutions that the Czechs perpetrated v. Germans, Bohemians, Slovenians or Istrians among others?

Did he run into any members of the Red Army and what were his impressions?

Thanks

 

My 2 favorites are Old Hickory and Sapper....

 

That is pretty much how I imagined things went. And even much worse, the Soviets had many scores to settle and taking the high road is so hard when one's countrymen and family have been abused for so long. Thank you for the information, Slip!

 

A well deserved salute for you, Slipdigit. You have done a great job in being Old Hickory's voice here on the forum. Now you are also writing a book on his story. I am very impressed. You are doing a great work to preserve the story and memory of this great veteran. Thank you!

 

Look forward to reading what you have written about the Old Hickory Division.

 

Can't wait Jeff, you are doing a hell of a job there