African American. Alaska Highway. Company B.
Born: 11 April 1922, Old Fort, McDowell County, NC. Died: 6 December 2013, North Carolina. Enlisted: 27 August 1941, Ft. Bragg, NC. Education: two years high school.
Civilian occupation: farming. He lived and worked in Old Fort as a cook. He cooked for restaurants in Marion and Asheville and was the cook for Marion High School for many years.
It was always difficult to find a job. He would get off work at 3 pm and then change into another uniform and went to another job. For a time, he lived in Washington, DC and was a maintenance supervisor for an apartment complex.
His father was James Arthur Bryson (1886-1965) and listed in 1930 census he was a section hand with a steam railroad. His mother was Martha Emma L. (McDonald) Bryson (1893-1959).
Thad married Daphne John Anderson in Greenville, South Carolina. They had four sons, John Frederick, James C., Boyd Anthony and Ray E. Bryson.
His best friend was Nathaniel Boyd, veteran of H&S company in the 97th Regiment. He was a truck driver on the Alaska Highway. After the war he lived in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Thad and Nathaniel made an agreement to name one of their children after each other. Thad named his third son after Nathaniel Boyd, but unfortunately Nathaniel and his wife did not have children.
Serial #34119870