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Post by daphardy1919 on Oct 1, 2009 13:18:55 GMT -5
I am looking for information on my father, Captain James Howard Hardy. He was in the 106th, 423rd, M company. He was KIA in the Battle of the Bulge in Dec.44 and is buried in Henri-Chapelle cemetery. I am trying to reconstruct his military service. I have requested records but was told they were destroyed in the St. Louis fire.
He was commissioned when he graduated from college in 1940. If my information is correct he served first with the Fourth Division, 22nd Infantry at Fort McClellan in Anniston, Alabama. He then transferred to the paratroopers and I believe he trained at Camp Toccoa in Georgia and was part of the 517th. He participated in the invasion of N.Africa and I believe he was there about 8 months. He returned to the states for several months and was assigned to the 106th. I believe he was at Camp Atterbury when he shipped out as that is where I was born.
If anyone has any information for me about my Dad, I would be most appreciative.
Thank you.
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Post by connie on Oct 2, 2009 16:08:05 GMT -5
First let me extend condolences on your loss. Family knows better than anyone the terrible sacrifices made long ago continue to extract their toll forever. You are not alone on this site. There are several who visit here who gave up a parent in the war. If others feel the way I do you have an extended family with the 106th forever.
Back to the practical stuff.
While you wait and hope for someone who might actually have known your father, it sounds like you have been trying to piece together what you can on your own.
That wall that goes up with the announcement of records destroyed by fire is not always a dead end. When you filled out the initial form, did you add any of the information you gave here about what you already know? Sometimes when you show you have enough other information they will send you a second form that lets you elaborate. They may be able to access records stored at other bases or non-central sites. It may be worth another try.
On your Indiana birth. Camp Atterbury was indeed the last place where family could follow the troops. The next stop before shipping out was Camp Myles Standish in Massachusetts. But family could not go along to this one. And the stay there was relatively short for the infantry. Did your mom stay on here after the troops left or did she relocate to be near other family?
According to the account I am looking at, the Division was alerted for movement overseas in September of 1944 and moved by train to Camp Myles Standish on October 9 and 10.
Connie
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Post by daphardy1919 on Oct 2, 2009 16:45:29 GMT -5
Connie,
Thank you so much for your kind reply and words of encouragement. I plan to keep up the search and am in touch with the office of our congressman (Carol Shea-Porter). The information I listed about my father on this site is all from a few newspaper articles I have. They were published in newspapers in the area where he grew up in Mississippi. I have no idea if the information in the articles is correct.
Interesting that you were able to find out that he shipped out to MA before he left the states. I didn't know that. My mother relocated to Florida to live with her brother and his family after my father left. I don't know if she went there directly from Camp Atterbury or not.
On 10/24 I will be accompanying some WWII veterans on an Honor Flight out of NH. I am looking forward to meeting these wonderful men who were lucky enough to return home from the war. My father's picture will go with me as a tribute to him as well.
Thanks again,
Diane
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Post by connie on Oct 2, 2009 16:58:37 GMT -5
Diane,
The Massachusetts (Camp Myles Standish) bit was for most of the division. There were some who were sent over to England earlier as a part of an advance team to get ready for the rest of the troops. So there is always a chance that your father as a captain happened to be part of the advance team and skipped the Massachusetts stay. It's an open ended question with two possible answers.
Connie
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Post by connie on Jul 2, 2011 22:30:07 GMT -5
Diane,
I don't know when you'll next check this site or where you are on your quest for answers. I was going to add that your father was the commanding officer of M Company of the 423rd and also add a link to his information on the American Battle Monuments site. But checking your other posts I see that you already have this information. That makes this note pointless, but adding something does bring your post to the top of the list again. Maybe someone who knew your father will see it.
Connie
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Post by samhodges on Aug 6, 2013 19:36:21 GMT -5
Ms. Diane my Grandfather was in Co. G of 423rd. He was from Mississippi as well. Seems there was a lot of men called up with prior service from Mississippi that indoctrinated at Camp Shelby located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi (There is a museum there as well.) My Grandfather W.W. Anderson was a Platoon Sgt in Co. G. He had prior service before getting called back up and he went through Camp Shelby before going to Camp Atterbury. He returned to the Hattiesburg, MS area where I grew up. The National WWII Museum in New Orleans has a lot photos of the campaigns as well.
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Post by samhodges on Aug 6, 2013 22:14:18 GMT -5
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Post by connie on Sept 21, 2013 11:16:48 GMT -5
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Post by floydragsdale on Sept 21, 2013 17:51:02 GMT -5
Diane:
M Company was a heavy weapons Company So, if he was the Company Commander your Dad was in charge of where those weapons (50 Caliber machine guns and 80 mm motors) were dispersed throughout the 3rd Battalion of the 423rd Regiment. They were adjacent to ny Regiment when the Battle of the Bulge began.
The 1st few days of the Bulge Campaign, the action was furious. I served there with G Company, 2nd Bn., 424th Regiment and remember many of those days as if it was just a few months ago. The 106th Division, in most areas of that Campaign were out-numbered by ten German Soldiers to one 106th Division Soldier in the 1st week or so of that battle.
Many G Company Officers were killed. or missing in action, in the first few days of the Bulge Campaign.
To say the least, your Dad must have been a very busy Company Commander the day that he lost his life.
Floyd,
424th Regiment
P.S. I visited Henri Chapelle American Cemetery three years ago this month, with Connie and her husband,. Connie has been replying to some of your quires.
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