History of the 59th Infantry Brigade

By Maj. William Carraway
Historian, Georgia Army National Guard

 

The insignia of the Macon-based 59th Infantry Brigade. Author's Collection

The 59^th Infantry Brigade was a subordinate unit of the Macon-based 30^th Division from 1923 to 1941. From its Macon headquarters, the 59th encompassed the 121^st Infantry Regiment of the Georgia Army National Guard as well as the 118^th Infantry Regiment of the South Carolina National Guard.

The 59^th Infantry Brigade was established Jan. 8, 1923 under the command of Brig. Gen. Henry D. Russell. Russell commanded the brigade until 1932 when he was promoted to major general and placed in command of the 30^th Division, which was comprised of National Guard units from Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina.

This Signal Corps photo depicting the 30th CRT is captioned 

"Infantrymen of the U.S. Ninth Army, 19th Corps, 30th 

Infantry Division poised for action atop an Army 

Reconnaissance Car, enter the burning town of Bonn, Germany

...April 13, 1945"

The Headquarters Company of the 59^th Infantry Brigade was the Macon Volunteers, a storied unit whose lineage traced back to 1825 and continues today as headquarters of the 48^th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.  

In September 1940, the Georgia National Guard was placed in federal service and the 59^th Infantry Brigade was dispatched to Fort Jackson, South Carolina for initial training.[i] The 59^th participated in the Tennessee Maneuvers and Carolina Maneuvers before returning to Fort Jackson in September 1941 whereupon, a reorganization of Army divisions reassigned the 121^st Infantry Regiment to the 8^th Division.[ii] February 24, 1942, Headquarters Company, 59^th Infantry was redesignated as the 30^th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop.[iii] Three Georgia Guardsmen received the Bronze Star Medal for actions with the 30^th CRT in Europe: Staff Sgt. James R. Chester, Staff Sgt. Edwin J. Deedrick and 1^st Sgt. Louis Stuart.[iv]

Three Georgia Guardsmen of the 59^th Infantry Brigade Headquarters Company are known to have been killed in action while serving in other units following the 1942 reorganization.[v] A brief biography of each Soldier follows:


James W. Mathis Jr. enlisted in the Macon based Headquarters Company, 59th Infantry Brigade September 25, 1939 at the age of 15. After arriving at Fort Jackson, S.C. in 1941, Mathis was transferred to the 143rd Infantry, 36th Division.  He was commissioned a second lieutenant. He was killed in action December 15, 1943 in Sicily and is buried in the Sicily Rome American Cemetery.

James Mathis

Private Jack Moseley enlisted in the, 59th Infantry Brigade Headquarters October 2, 1939 at the age of 16. Moseley volunteered for service in the Army Air Corps and was assigned to the 33rd Bomb Squadron, 22nd Bomb Group as a bombardier on a B-26. On January 7, 1943 Moseley’s aircraft took off from Port Moresby on a bombing mission against a Japanese convoy. The aircraft was intercepted by enemy aircraft and hit by anti-aircraft fire in the left wing and engine. The aircraft ditched. Unable to escape the aircraft Moseley drowned. He is listed on the Wall of the Missing in Manila.

Jack Moseley

Charles R. Wheaton joined the Headquarters Company, 59th Infantry Brigade and, by October 5, 1939, had reached the rank of master sergeant. Wheaton was commissioned a second lieutenant and stationed at Camp Barkley, Texas. He was mortally wounded and died from the effects of his wounds November 16, 1944. He is buried in Macon Memorial Park.

Charles R. Wheaton

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[i] Military Department of the State of Georgia, General Order No. 13, Oct. 7, 1941.

[ii] Hewett, Robert L. Work Horse of the Western Front: The Story of the 30^th infantry Division. Washington Infantry Journal Press, New York, NY, 1946, 5.

[iii] Center for Military History, Lineage and Honors Certificate, Headquarters Company, 48^th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

[iv] Hewett, 290, 294, 326.

[v] Carraway William. Fallen Soldiers of the Georgia Army National Guard, ND.