209025 1st Lt. John Russell Condit United States Army 74th Signal Corps Special from:Newark, N.J. USA. John R. Condit initially joined the 102nd Calvary Regiment, Essex Troop, N.J. National Guard in 1937 at the age of 17 because of a love for horses. On January 6th, 1942 one month after Pearl Harbor, this unit was Federalized and sent to Ft. Jackson South Carolina. In August of 1942 he is sent to Ft. Devens, Mass. for Telephone Officer Supply training. His trip includes a flight from N.Y.C. to Boston on American Airlines, for the cost of $11.95!
In October of 1942 he is sent to Ft. Monmouth N.J. for training as a Signal Corps Officer. He graduated with the 9th class. In December of 1942 he is commissioned a 2nd Lt. He is then sent to the 74th Signal Corp, Camp Bradford, VA. This unit then undergoes special amphibious landing training in Florida, after completion of which it is designated the 74th Signal Corps Special. The responsibility of this Corp was to establish ship to shore and shore to shore communications for the assault troops. On May 1st 1943 he is promoted to 1st. Lt.
The 74th Signal Corps Special is attached to various divisions through out the war and participates in the amphibious landings and assaults of Sicily, Salerno, Anzio, and Southern France. By October of 1944 there is no longer a need for amphibious signal corp units in Europe, and Lt. Condit is transferred to the 94th Signal Battalion, US 3rd Army, Martelange, France. In February 1945, the 94th is transferred to 1st Army. He crosses the Rhine into Germany via the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen where he earns a Bronze Star for maintaining communications across the bridge under a continuous blanket of air and artillary fire.
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