baseball players in WWII
fred schneider
interested in the role drafted/enlisted pro baseball players played during
WWII re: active and inactive duty. I'm aware of some of the big names like
Dimaggio who never saw a day of action (Choice?) but played for the seventh
Air Force out of Hawaii. I know Williams and Feller who did see heavy
combat. Any knowledge re: armed services teams like Patton's? Any books
written on this subject?
Bob Tiernan
> It seems rather frivolous given many of the topics on this board but
> I'm interested in the role drafted/enlisted pro baseball players
> played during WWII
Bob Feller said in a radio interview that there was only one
who was killed in action, though I cannot recall his name.
Elmer Gideon? I'd know it if I saw it, and I should flip
through the baseball encyclopedia. I recall seeing the
date of death which was in second half of 1942, leading
me to believe that he was most likely in action with the
Navy during Guadalcanal (having three times the casualties
as the ground forces), or possibly a member of a bomber crew
of the 8th Air Force.
Bob T.
"We learn from history that
we do not learn from history".
-- Hegel
bsha...@orednet.org
Almost - his name was Elmer Gedeon and he was shot down over France
in 1944. The other major leaguer killed in action was Harry O'Neill.
Still, neither Gedeon nor O'Neill were exactly all-stars - Gedeon
having appeared in only five major league games and O'Neill having
played but a single game in 1939.
For an extensive discussion of professional baseball players in
World War 2 and a listing of many of them, see:
http://totalbaseball.com/leagues/military/ww2.html
Cheers and all,
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Bob Tiernan <zu...@teleport.com> wrote:
>
> Bob Feller said in a radio interview that there was only one
> who was killed in action, though I cannot recall his name.
> Elmer Gideon? I'd know it if I saw it, and I should flip
> through the baseball encyclopedia. I recall seeing the
> date of death which was in second half of 1942, leading
> me to believe that he was most likely in action with the
> Navy during Guadalcanal (having three times the casualties
> as the ground forces), or possibly a member of a bomber crew
> of the 8th Air Force.
I don't think he saw action but...
[Phil] Rizzuto was a fair hitter for a shortstop and a superb bunter.
He moved Frankie Crosetti aside in 1941 and 1942, but spent 1943-45 in the
military. On an all-star service team, coach Bill Dickey
played Pee Wee Reese at shortstop and Rizzuto at third base.
hth
Pjk
James A. Wolf
>In article <7bh4q3$19tg$1...@nntp6.u.washington.edu>,
> Bob Tiernan <zu...@teleport.com> wrote:
>> On 2 Mar 1999, fred schneider wrote:
>
>> > It seems rather frivolous given many of the topics on this board but
>> > I'm interested in the role drafted/enlisted pro baseball players
>> > played during WWII
>
>> Bob Feller said in a radio interview that there was only one
>> who was killed in action, though I cannot recall his name.
>> Elmer Gideon? I'd know it if I saw it, and I should flip
>> through the baseball encyclopedia.
<snip>
>Almost - his name was Elmer Gedeon and he was shot down over France
>in 1944. The other major leaguer killed in action was Harry O'Neill.
>
>Still, neither Gedeon nor O'Neill were exactly all-stars - Gedeon
>having appeared in only five major league games and O'Neill having
>played but a single game in 1939.
>
>For an extensive discussion of professional baseball players in
>World War 2 and a listing of many of them, see:
>
>http://totalbaseball.com/leagues/military/ww2.html
>
Two things. First a little story about WW1. Apaarently a lot a
baseball players went to the front lines (according to one story, a
general perused a lineup and said that four of the men were going into
action the day of he game...). But many Yanks were familiar with the
game. During a demonstration of the proper throwing techniques for
handgrenades, the French troops sent to enlighten the ignorant Yanks
were astounded that the Americans- raised on baseball- had a far
superior throwing technique than the one they used. S
Second, in the interests of equal time, is a lsit of 11 NFL
players died in the war. 10 in died combat, while one (Len Supulski
of the Eagles) in a plane crash. Another one (Young Bussey- Chicago
Bears) was listed as MIA.
(I got this info from an NFL encyclopedia, which had a listing
of all the players who served, including the ones who did not make it
back. They counted guys who barely even played, like CHM awardee
Maurice 'Footsie' Britt of the Lions, who lost his arm in Italy.
Heplayed one game with the Lions.)
KIA By Franchise...
Brooklyn Tigers/Dodgers/ Boston Yanks- Don Wemple, Waddy Young
Chicago Bears- Young Bussey
Detriot Lions- Charlie Behan, Alex Ketzo, Chett Wetterlund
Green Bay Packers- Smiley Johnson
New York Giants- Al Blozis, Jack Lummus
Philadelphia Eagles- Mike Busen
Washington Redskins- Keith Birlem
Of the ten franchises then in exisitence, three (Chicago
Cardinals, Cleveland Rams and the Pittsburgh Steelers) had no
fatalities among their current/former personel.
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just as dangerous a weapon | encourage my socio- |who make the laws and no
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casita
He flew as a tail-gunner on a 433 Sqn Halifax with Bomber Command.
He was shot down by a night fighter ( probably Schrag-Muzik ) on a night
trip 16/17 Aug 1944.
Only he and one other crew member survived the attack.
He was held at Stalag Luft 3.
Ref: "Ace: The Phil Marchildon Story by Brian Kendal"
"They Shall Grow Not Old" by Les Allison.
http://web.arts.ubc.ca/history/ww2prop/withyou3.jpg