Head, Sanford B., 1919-1999.

Sandford "Sandy" B. Head was born April 14, 1919 in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. He attended Williams College in Williamstown, Mass., where Stephen Sondheim was one of his classmates. Sandy Head served in the China-Burma-Indian theater during World War II. Sandy Head was a 1st Lt. in I Company, 3rd Battalion 5307th/475th Infantry. He was in charge of an African American unit in Burma whose job was to set up portable showers in advance of the combat soldiers' arrival. The equipment was hauled in on mules. He was one of the replacement units that joined the Composite Unit 5307th Provisional (Merrill's Mauraders), for the Battle for the town of Myitkyina, Burma at the end of May, 1944. He was awarded the Bronze Star for this mission. Sandy Head was a Georgia sales representative for Wilen Professional Cleaning products, a janitorial/cleaning wholesaler. He purchased the property at 3047 Head Acres, Atlanta Highway (where the Target shopping center is currently), moving into an old cabin that was on the property and eventually expanding and renovating it to serve as his home, where he lived until his death in July 1999. He was an early advocate of opera in Athens, supported community theatre groups through volunteer work, and was an active participant and coordinator for the Georgia Unit of Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic. Sanford Head passed away in Athens on July 15, 1999.