Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1944 Lucky Bag:

John Sanford Hardy

Another member of the proud Southern delegation was the “Tapper,” “Jedge,” or “Andy.” His infectious smile and sincerity earned him a host of friends. With all his disarming manner, smooth was the word for Tapper. He was the genuine B. T. O. When this Log sports correspondent was not otherwise occupied, he played “B” squad football. In spite of the poor fortune which condemned him to obscurity, “Andy” never gave up trying. His " B" squad gave the Varsity its bad moments. Stern realities of life have a way of stifling youthful laughter and dreams, but Andy will face the future with the inborn faith and humor that is America’s heritage.

---

The Class of 1944 was graduated in June 1943 due to World War II. The entirety of 2nd class (junior) year was removed from the curriculum.

Loss

John was lost when his F4U-4B Corsair crashed in the Mediterranean Sea on September 4, 1946 while operating from USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CV 42).

Other Information

From The Greenwood Commonwealth on September 9, 1946:

Lt. John Sanford Hardy, 25, of Columbus, and nephew of Mrs. Tol Thomas, Jr., of Cruger, was killed Wednesday when his Corsair fighter plane spun into the sea, one mile astern the mighty aircraft carrier Roosevelt near Piraeus, Greece.

It was the first casualty of the big carrier’s cruise to the Mediterranean. Lt. Hardy’s plane started to spin at the end of a routine training bomb run, it was disclosed.

Lt. Hardy numbered many friends in Greenwood and this area where he had visited on various occasions with his cousin, Tol Thomas III. He was a graduate of Annapolis, and assigned duties aboard the Cruiser Phoenix where he saw service in the Pacific for 16 months and later assigned to the Air Corps. He received his air training at Corpus Christi, Texas, and Miami, Fla., before assignment to the carrier Roosevelt.

He is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. Allison Hardy, Columbus a brother, Captain Jack Hardy, U. S. Marines Air Corps, Miami; two sisters, Mrs. R. G. Roseborough, Jr., Senatobia, and Miss Genie Hardy, student at Ole Miss.

He has a memory marker in Mississippi.

Related Articles

His classmate, Myron Sutton, was lost two weeks later from Franklin D. Roosevelt.