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

Thanks Jeff, I will have a look later today

 

Thanks Jeff, amazing recording !

 

Great interview, Jeff. Thanks for posting it. I also wish you the best in contacting SSgt. Scott's family.

 

This keeps getting more and more interesting! I can only imagine Mr. Sanford's excitement at the opportunity to talk with Sgt. Scott's son. Then making the connection with a veteran who was at the battle is amazing. I look forward to further updates from you, Jeff.

 

Very poignant photos knowing what happened a few minutes later.

RIP, Pvt. Lyczynski. :S!

 

hello,I am new to this forum.I just found it and was elated to find a living vet who served with my dad in the 30 th recon. M dad was G.H.Brewer Jr . He would probably have been called Jr. He was a truck driver He was a small man dark hair and maybe a mustache. What little dad ever said about the war matches all the places of training and the deployment on the rough sea where dad said he was sick for 15 days. I was not sure just what day he went in on Normandy,so the 10th sounds good. I still have a piece of light tissue like paper of the Christmas dinner with all the names and platoon breakdown rank the menu and prayer,Marion Sanford is on the Tech. list. Dad got a copy of the book Workhorse of the western front 30th Infantry Division by Robert L Hewett printed a couple years after the war ended. It is a must have for anyone interested in the Old Hickory. I would love to know if Mr Sanford remembers my dad,Dad died of cancer in 2003. My only brother James died 6months prior to dad. James was a Viet Nam era vet.I am retired ArmyNational Guard . My mother is still living and has a very sharp memory of all the information she had. I guess this long winded enough for the first post. Thanks for the time and much effort invested in this forum. Thanks to Mr Sanford for his sacrifice and much appreciated service.

 

A very neat and inspirational account. I hope to see more memoirs like this. There are so many questions to ask one rarely knows where to start. Thank you for sharing.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading all the threads in this topic. Some things caught my eye regarding unit insignia and their colors. The 30th Infantry Division, composed of units from Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia had many variations of the octagonal crest. However colors created some consistency: White was the 59th Inf Brigade, and light blue was the 60th Inf Brigade with a variety of figures denoting which state National Guard they represented. For instance: Hogs head for Georgia, hornets nest for North Carolina, Pine tree with stars for Tennessee, and a Palmetto for South Carolina. Individual Regiments kept their own unit crest or pedigree (e.g. 118th Inf, 119th Inf or the 120th Inf regiments). The Division Artillery was obviously red, commanded by a Brigadier General. Lots of artillery. Aviation section or company was Blue and Orange, the chemical company was blue and yellow, Quartermaster/motorcycle was a pink/khaki, ordnance was red/scarlet and yellow, dark blue was for the Tank Company, MP was green, the signal company was white and yellow, and all yellow was the reconnaissance company or troop representing the cavalry. The early unit crest colors stem from only three colors used since the Civil War: red, white, and blue respectively meaning 1st, 2nd and 3rd division or brigade. This has been lost over the decades and it's too bad. The national guard divisions have all but given up their unique crests like you display as your avatar representing the 30th Infantry Division reconnaissance company. Bye gone eras and so many changes. There are threads of tradition still represented by those unit crests if nothing seems to be traditional or reminiscent of Army heritage any longer. The national guard units, whether infantry or coastal artillery represented the bulk of military manpower that carried us through the war. They were ready and were, as often, the first into battle like Mr Sanford.

 

Slipdigit I apologize for not calling last evening. I did talk a few minutes to Marion, what a gentleman to have so sharp memory at 93 wow.It hurts to face the fact that dad and marion lived in Alabama and we never got them together before dad died. I am looking forward to meeting him and reading the book. Dads insignia has white background. I will call this veningThanks