In the movie Saving Private Ryan, Sarge is shown collecting sand on Omaha Beach. In his bag you see sand already collected from Italy and Africa. Was it possible for a US soldier to see action in Italy and Africa before Normandy?

by fuego890
davratta

The 1st US Army infantry division fought in Operation Torch, Tunisia and Sicily. It also landed on Omaha Beach on June 6th 1944.
The 3rd US Army division also fought in North Africa, Sicily and Italy, before being used in Operation Dragoon, the invasion of Southern France.

the_howling_cow

Yes it was. Many US infantry and armored divisions and other units served in multiple theaters during WWII. The 3rd Infantry Division was the only US division to fight the Germans on every front in both the European and Mediterranean theaters (North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France, and Germany) suffering more casualties than any other division. The following divisions that served in Western Europe served in other places before then:

Division Campaigns before the ETO
2nd Armored Division Sicily
1st Infantry Division Algeria-French Morocco, Tunisia, Sicily
3rd Infantry Division Tunisia, Sicily, Naples-Foggia, Rome-Arno
9th Infantry Division Algeria-French Morocco, Tunisia, Sicily
36th Infantry Division Naples-Foggia, Rome-Arno
45th Infantry Division Sicily, Naples-Foggia, Anzio, Rome-Arno
82nd Airborne Division Sicily, Naples-Foggia, Rome-Arno

Many tank and tank destroyer battalions and other non-divisional units also did the same.

As the Ranger battalions only accepted volunteers, T/Sgt. Horvath could have previously served with one of the above divisions, most likely the 1st, 3rd, or 9th Infantry Divisions (given cans labeled Africa and Italy), or some other unit that fits the criteria of having served previously in Africa and Italy. Assuming the actor's (Tom Sizemore) real-life age at the time (37) was the age of his character in the film, and taking his rank (Technical Sergeant) into account, it would seem likely that he was a career soldier. He would have had to volunteer for the Rangers at some point after fighting in Africa and Italy, probably sometime in late 1943. As an extra tidbit, the organization of a Ranger infantry battalion is as follows.

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