The FReeper Foxhole Profiles When Athletes go off to War - May 7th, 2004

see educational sources

[snippy_about_it]

Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.


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U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues

Where Duty, Honor and Country
are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.

Our Mission:

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The FReeper Foxhole hopes to share with it's readers an open forum where we can learn about and discuss military history, military news and other topics of concern or interest to our readers be they Veteran's, Current Duty or anyone interested in what we have to offer.

If the Foxhole makes someone appreciate, even a little, what others have sacrificed for us, then it has accomplished one of it's missions.

We hope the Foxhole in some small way helps us to remember and honor those who came before us.

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click on the books below.

When Professional Athletes went to War


Pat Tillman

When Pat Tillman, the hard-charging safety for the Arizona Cardinals, relinquished a multi-million dollar contract to join the Army with the professed goal of making it as a Ranger, he immediately became an anomaly: In this era of pampered, million-dollar ballplayers, he is a throwback to an earlier age, when the best athletes in America gave some of the best years of their professional careers to serve in the Armed Forces during a time of war.

How times have changed.

Baseball, our “National Pastime,” was once the province of working-class young men possessed of a special talent with bat, ball, and glove. Many hailed from blue-collar backgrounds, and felt unbelievably lucky to have made it to the Big Leagues to earn their keep, if only for a little while. As Chester (“Red”) Hoff said when I interviewed him for a book I was doing on America’s centenarians, “Playing ball was better than having to work to earn a living.”

Although numbers are not easy to come by, the National Baseball Hall of Fame has derived some telling statistics. In the wake of the attack on Pearl Harbor, more than 500 major leaguers served during the war, including 29 who would eventually be elected to the Hall of Fame. Five Hall of Famers served during the war in Korea.


Bob Feller

Cleveland Indians pitcher Bob Feller became the first major leaguer to volunteer for active duty, enlisting in the Navy two days after the attack on Pearl Harbor engulfed America in the Second World War. He became an anti-aircraft gunner on the battleship Alabama, which fought at Tarawa, Iwo Jima, and in the Marshall Islands. For his service, he earned five campaign ribbons and eight battle stars. Despite losing four years to the war, Bullet Bob won 266 games and struck out 2,581 batters during an exemplary 18-year career highlighted by a trio of no-hitters and a dozen one-hitters.


Warren Spahn

Warren Spahn, with 363 victories the winningest southpaw in baseball history, spent three years as a combat engineer. He has the distinction of being the only professional athlete to have earned a battlefield commission as a second lieutenant. A foot wound obviously didn’t hurt his pitching skills much.


Yogi Berra

The inimitable Yogi Berra served in the Navy, and was stationed aboard a rocket launcher off the coast of Normandy Beach just after D-Day. Rubber-armed Hoyt Wilhelm, who pitched in more than a thousand games and became the first closer to enter the Hall, earned a Purple Heart in the Battle of the Bulge. Umpire Nestor Chylak, an Army Ranger, lost his sight for ten days during that battle; his actions earned him a Purple Heart and the Silver Star.
Hoyt Wilhelm


Umpire Nestor Chyllak



The ‘Human Howitzer’

Professional football players answered the call as well. Of the 638 NFL players who served in World War II, 355 were commissioned as officers, 66 were decorated, and 21 lost their lives.

Among them was an offensive tackle for the New York Giants named Al Blozis. The 6-foot-6, 240-pound Blozis played football and was a weight thrower on the track team at Georgetown University. He won the NCAA, IC4A, and AAU shotput championships indoors and outdoors three years in a row, from 1940-42, and was the IC4A discus champion all three years as well.
Al Blozis

Along with golfer Ben Hogan and boxer Joe Louis, Blozis was selected by United Press International as one of three outstanding athletes of 1941.


Ben Hogan


Joe Louis

Graduating in 1942, he was drafted by the Giants in the third round and quickly became an anchor at tackle. Having been granted a dispensation to serve in the military because of his size, Blozis, the son of Lithuanian immigrants, entered the Army as a lieutenant.

On his first patrol, less than two months after playing his last game on the gridiron, he was killed in the Vosges Mountains during an encounter related to the Battle of the Bulge. Lieutenant Alfred Blozis was 26 years old.

While Al Blozis may not be a “household name” for most fans of the game, his death robbed football of a standout player, and, many believe, track and field of a virtually certain Olympic gold medalist.

During the long years of America’s involvement in Vietnam, a paucity of our finest athletes managed to serve on active duty. Scores fulfilled their military obligation by joining the Reserves or the National Guard. A Pentagon study in the spring of 1967 found 360 pro players in the Reserves and the Guard. Among them were Boston Red Sox pitcher Jim Lonborg, New York Mets pitchers Tom Seaver and Nolan Ryan and second baseman Ken Boswell, and New York Knicks stars Cazzie Russell and Bill Bradley.


Jim Lonborg


Tom Seaver


Nolan Ryan


Ken Boswell

Of those who served in Vietnam, Rocky Bleier, the storied running back who helped the Pittsburgh Steelers win four Super Bowls, is perhaps the most prominent. Picked by the Steelers late in the 1968 draft after a sterling collegiate career at Notre Dame, he was drafted again, this time for service in the Army as an infantryman.


Rock Bleier

He suffered crippling wounds in both legs when hit by enemy rifle fire and shrapnel. He could barely walk let alone run. Yet with grit and determination, he beat the odds after two agonizing years recovering from his wounds. Rocky Bleier went on to a stellar 12-year career in the NFL. He became the “go-to” guy for the Steelers, a thousand-yard rusher, and a key contributor to four Super Bowl championships.

Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach, whose Dallas Cowboys were prime competition for Bleier’s Steelers, served in the Vietnam theater of operations. Willie Miller, a wide receiver who played in the Super Bowl with the then Los Angeles Rams, served. So did Charlie Johnson, a defensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles.


Roger Staubach

Sad Distinction

One NFL player was killed in action in Southeast Asia. Bob Kalsu had been an All-America tackle at the University of Oklahoma and an eighth-round draft pick by Buffalo in 1968. He started eight games at guard in 1968 and was the Bills' top rookie. His potential had few limits. Following the season he entered the Army to satisfy his ROTC obligation.


Bob Kalsu

Kalsu arrived in Vietnam in November 1969. He was killed in action on 21 July 1970 at Fire Base Ripcord near the A Shau Valley. First Lieutenant Bob Kalsu had one child, a daughter. At home in Oklahoma City, his wife gave birth to his son, James Robert Kalsu Jr., on 23 July 1968. Mrs. Kalsu was informed of her husband's death hours later.


Al Bumbry

An equally modest contingent from America’s Pastime served in Vietnam. Baltimore Orioles outfielder Al Bumbry led an infantry platoon; he was able to boast that all of his men made it home. Ed Figueroa, a steady pitcher for the California Angels and later for the New York Yankees, also served in-country.

Today, with the threat of the military draft no longer a motivating factor, few with the potential to make it in the pros give a second thought to military service. Pat Tillman stands out among this elite fraternity as an athlete whose values, like so many of the stars who came before him, extend beyond the game they play. The real heroes, he knows, are not the guys who hit .350, or belt 60 home runs, or throw for 3,000 yards, or rush for 1,500 yards, or score 30 points a game, or race cars very fast.

The real heroes are the Pat Tillmans.

Snippy's note: The real heroes are all our troops, past and present. Thanks for the idea for this thread Sam.

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FReeper Foxhole Armed Services Links

[snippy_about_it]

Athletes and War



We were saddened to hear of the death of Pat Tillman, formerly of the Arizona Cardinals, while serving in Afghanistan. Following the terrorist attack on 9/11, Pat decided to accept the risks of military service to pay something back for what our country has provided him. We honor that sacrifice, and clearly it has struck a chord among Americans at large.


Ted Williams took time out of his MLB career to serve as a Marine pilot in WWII and the Korean conflict.

In past wars, America's athletes have rallied for their country. Ted Williams is the most memorable, a great baseball player whose best playing years were spent fighting in World War II and Korea. Enos Slaughter, who was later a baseball coach at Duke, joined him, as did Bob Feller, Dizzy Dean, Larry Doby, who fought for America even while America didn't fight for him, Hoyt Wilhelm, Gil Hodges, Yogi Berra, Bobby Jones, Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, and hundreds of other prominent athletes. Fortunately for them, they survived, even though they were in the midst of action. Out of the Hall of Fame baseball players, Warren Spahn came closest to making the ultimate sacrifice when he was injured when the Remagen bridge collapsed.

In 1944, Spahn fought in the Battle of the Bulge and participated in seizing the key Rhine river crossing bridge at Remagen, Germany. During the latter engagement, Spahn received a Bronze Star for his valorous actions, a battlefield commission, and one of the two Purple Hearts that he was awarded during WWII. After Germany surrendered, he continued his service as a company commander with the Army of Occupation. He returned to baseball in 1946.

A notable athlete who survived World War II was Lou Brissie. Brissie was a true war hero, having won a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart in Italy. He was serving with the 351st Infantry when he nearly lost his leg to a German artillery shell. His second Purple Heart resulted in 23 operations to reconstruct his left leg, yet he had the strength and perseverance to come back and pitch in the major leagues starting in 1947.


Lou Brissie -Squad Leader G Company 351st Infantry, 88th Infantry Division, Somewhere in Italy, 1944.

The only major league baseball player to have given his life for his country was Eddie Grant. Eddie died in the Argonne Forest on October 5, 1918, fighting in World War I.


In World War I, he led a mission in the Argonne Forest offensive to rescue the "Lost Battalion" trapped behind German lines. When he met with machine gun fire, at the time, he became the only ML player killed in wartime action. A monument to his memory was placed in the Polo Grounds' deep centerfield, and each Memorial Day there was a wreath-laying ceremony at his plaque. (JK)

In a different capacity, one should also mention the amazing Moe Berg, who was one of America's most effective spies in World War II.




No matter where you stand on the current uses of military force, Pat Tillman is a guy who was willing to risk everything, for whatever his reasons were - he never articulated them - and made the greatest possible sacrifice. In a very different, by comparison almost trivial capacity, Mike Krzyewski talks about the importance of belonging to something bigger than yourself. In Pat Tillman's case, he did it for you. Not for us, abstractly, but for you: for your chidren, your parents, for you. We believe he understood there to be a great danger, and that it was his obligation to resist it and, typically, he gave it everything he had.



Now our obligation is to take his sacrifices seriously and how best to honor the kind of man he revealed himself to be. There's probably nothing we can do which is sufficient, but we believe he has earned our enduring respect and gratitude. It would be nice to find a way to show his family that his fellow citizens found him to be among the very finest we have to offer.

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Today's Educational Sources and suggestions for further reading:

www.veteransadvantage.com - By Bernard Edelman Special to Veterans Advantage
www.dukebasketballreport.com

[snippy_about_it]

FALL IN to the FReeper Foxhole!



It's Friday. Good Morning Everyone.


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[snippy_about_it]

Veterans for Constitution Restoration is a non-profit, non-partisan educational and grassroots activist organization.

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Tribute to a Generation - The memorial will be dedicated on Saturday, May 29, 2004.

Thanks to CholeraJoe for providing this link.

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Actively seeking volunteers to provide this valuable service to Veterans and their families.

Thanks to quietolong for providing this link.

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Iraq Homecoming Tips

~ Thanks to our Veterans still serving, at home and abroad. ~ Freepmail to Ragtime Cowgirl | 2/09/04 | FRiend in the USAF

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The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul

Click on Hagar for
"The FReeper Foxhole Compiled List of Daily Threads"

[SAMWolf]

Good job on the thread Snippy.

How Hollywood stars and Pro sports figures have changed.

[snippy_about_it]

They sure have. So goes the country I'm afraid. :-(

But there is hope.

That's part of what makes the Foxhole great. Great minds, good conversation and right thinking live here, imho. A safe haven to make us see all is not completely wrong in the world. ;-)

[Neil E. Wright]

Hiya Sam and Snippy ..... :)

just sticking my head in the FOXHOLE to say "Hi" .... and keep up the good work!!!!!

±

"The Era of Osama lasted about an hour, from the time the first plane hit the tower to the moment the General Militia of Flight 93 reported for duty."
Toward FREEDOM

[SAMWolf]

Morning Neil. Thanks for the encouragement. It's appreciated.

[snippy_about_it]

Thanks Neil.

[SAMWolf]

There is always hope. ;-)

[Aeronaut]

Good morning Snippy. I'm outta here until Monday. Have a great week-end.

[E.G.C.]

Good morning, Snippy and everyone at the Foxhole.

[The Mayor]

I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. —Daniel 4:37

A person who thinks too much of himself thinks too little of God.

[U S Army EOD]

It is sad how times have changed as the country started its slow immoral side downhill. Although not an athlete, the person of notoriety that was given the most coverage in my generation, who went willing to Vietnam, was Jane Fonda.

[Professional Engineer]

Good morning ladies. Flag balloon-o-gram.

US Flag Balloon

[Valin]

On This Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on May 07:
1530 Louis I Condé French prince/leader of hugenots
1574 Innocent X [Giambattista Pamfili] 236th Roman Catholic pope (1644-55)
1763 Josef Poniatovski Polish general/marshal of France
1774 Sir Francis Beaufort naval officer; devised wind force scale
1812 Robert Browning London England, poet (The Pied Piper)
1826 Varina Howell Davis 1st lady (Confederacy), died in 1905
1827 Francis Engle Patterson Brigadier General (Union volunteers), died in 1862
1832 Carl G Neumann German mathematician/physicist (Neumann-functions)
1833 Johannes Brahms Hamburg Germany, composer, enjoys a good lullaby
1840 Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Votkinsk Russia, composer (The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, 1812 Overture)
1861 Rabindranath Tagore Hindu poet/mystic/composer (Nobel '13)
1883 Martin Albertz German theologist (Church Jesus Christ)
1885 George "Gabby" Hayes Wellesvile NY, actor (In Old Santa Fe, El Paso)
1892 Archibald MacLeish Glencoe IL, political essayist/poet/dramatist (JB)
1892 Josip Broz Tito WWII partisan, leader of Yugoslavia (1943-80)

1901 Gary Cooper Helena MT, actor (2 Academy Awards-Sergeant York, High Noon)

1909 Edwin H Land inventor (instant photography (Polaroid))
1917 William Geoffrey Biddle bomb disposal expert
1919 Eva (Evita) [Duarte] Perón Argentina, 1st lady/actress
1922 Darren McGavin Spokane WA, actor (Night Stalker, Tribes, Turk 182)
1923 Anne Baxter Michigan City IN, actress (Myra-Marcus Welby, Victoria-Hotel)
1923 Pete V Domenici (Senator-R-NM, 1973- )
1930 Aviard Gavrilovich Fastovets Russia, cosmonaut
1931 Gene [Rodman] Wolfe US, sci-fi author (Soldier of Arete)
1931 Teresa Brewer Toledo OH, singer (Put Another Nickel In)
1932 Pete Domeneci (Senator-R-NM)
1933 Johnny Unitas NFL QB (Baltimore Colts, San Diego); one of the greats
1934 Willard Scott weatherman (Today)
1944 John Heard actor (Pelican Brief, CHUD, Radio Flyer, Big)
1950 Janis Ian [Janis Eddy Fink] New York NY, rock vocalist (At 17, Society's Child)
1951 Robert Hegyes Metuchen NJ, actor (Underground Aces, Welcome Back Kotter)
1952 Derek Taylor rocker (Let it Be, Beatles Anthology)
1959 Tamara E Jernigan Chattanooga, PhD/astronaut (STS 40, 52, 67, 80)

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Deaths which occurred on May 07:
0685 Marwan I ibn al-Hakam 4th kalief of Omajjaden (684-85), dies
0973 Otto I the Great Holy Roman Emperor (962-973), dies at 60
1166 Willem I the Bad, king of Sicily (1154-66)
1205 Ladislaus III Arpad King of Hungary (1204-05), dies at 5 or 6
1523 Franz von Sickingen German knight/protect of poor, dies of wounds at 42
1617 David Fabricius German astronomer, dies at 53
1818 Leopold Jan Antonin Kozeluh composer, dies at 70
1863 Amiel Weeks Whipple US Union general-major, dies of injuries at 46
1884 Judah P Benjamin confederate minister of War, dies at 72
1915 Alfred G Vanderbilt US millionaire, dies aboard Lusitania
1915 Alfred Scott Witherbee Jr US Lusitania officer, dies
1915 Charles Frohman dies aboard Lusitania
1929 Albert Anselmi US gangster, murdered by Al Capone
1929 John Scalise US gangster, murdered by Al Capone
1929 Joseph "Top Toad" Giunta US gangster, murdered by Al Capone
1968 Lurleen Burns wife of George Wallace/Governor of Alabama, dies at 41
1988 Divine [Harris Glenn Milstead] dies of natural causes at 42
1989 Guy Williams actor (Zorro, Lost in Space), dies in Argentina at 65
1990 Jessica James actress (Spring Break), dies of breast cancer at 60
1993 Mary Philbin actress (Phantom of the Opera), dies at 89
1994 Clement Greenberg US art critic (Art & Culture), dies at 85
1996 Howard Frank Trayton Smith diplomat/head of MI5, dies at 76

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Reported: MISSING in ACTION
1970 DUDMAN RICHARD
[06/15/70 RELEASED REFNO 0614]
1970 MORROW MICHAEL
[06/15/70 RELEASED]
1970 POND ELIZABETH
[06/70 RELEASED REFNO 1614]
1972 CONSOLVO JOHN W.---FORT BELVOIR VA.
1972 KERNAN JOSEPH E.---WASHINGTON DC.
[03/28/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE IN 2000]
1972 POLFER CLARENCE---INDEPENDENCE MO.
[03/28/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE AND WELL 98]
1973 KAY EMMET J.---HONOLULU HI.
[09/18/74 RELEASED BY PL, DECEASED]

POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by
the P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.

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On this day...
1274 2nd Council of Lyons (14th ecumenical council) opens
1355 1,200 Jews of Toledo Spain killed by Count Henry of Trastamara
1416 Monk Nicolaas Serrurier arrested because of heresy at Tournay
1429 English siege of Orléans broken by Joan of Arc
1660 Isaack B Fubine of Savoy, in The Hague, patents macaroni
1700 William Penn began monthly meetings for Blacks advocating emancipation
1727 Jews are expelled from Ukraine by Empress Catherine I of Russia
1748 French troops conquer Maastricht
1775 Turkish state of Bukovina secedes from Austria
1789 1st inaugural ball (for George Washington in New York NY)
1792 Captain Robert Gray discovers Grays Harbor (Washington)
1800 Indiana Territory organized
1824 Beethoven's 9th (Chorale) Symphony, premieres in Vienna
1832 Greece becomes independent republic
1832 Otto of Bavaria is chosen king of Greece
1840 Tornado strikes Natchez MS, kills 317
1847 American Medical Association organizes (Philadelphia)
1861 Riot occurs between prosecessionist & Union supporters in Knoxville TN
1862 Battle of West Point VA (Eltham's Landing, Barnhamsville)
1862 Much of Enschede Netherlands destroyed by fire
1864 Battle of Wilderness ends (total losses: USA-17,666; CSA-7,500) (It's a quagmire!!)
1864 Skirmish at Port Walthall Junction VA (Drewry's Bluff)
1866 German premier Otto von Bismarck seriously wounded in assassin attempt
1867 Blacks stage ride-in to protest segregation in New Orleans
1873 US marines attack Panamá
1877 Cincinnati Enquirer, 1st uses the term "Bullpen" to indicate foul territory
1888 George Eastman patents "Kodak box camera"
1891 Battle in Bunyoro: Captain F Lugard stops Moslem rebellion, 300 killed
1902 Soufriere volcano on St Vincent kills 2-5,000
1904 Flexible Flyer trademark registered
1909 Construction begins on first 100 houses in Ahuzat Bayit (Tel Aviv)
1912 Columbia University approves plans for awarding the Pulitzer Prize in several categories The award is established by Joseph Pulitzer
1913 British House of Commons rejects woman's right to vote
1914 US Congress establishes mother's day
1914 Woodrow Wilson's daughter Eleanor marries in the White House
1915 Lusitania sunk by German submarine; 1198 lives lost
1920 USSR recognizes independence of Georgia
1921 47th Kentucky Derby: Charles Thompson on Behave Yourself wins 2:04.2
1925 Pirate shortstop Glenn Wright makes an unassisted triple play
1928 England lowers age of women voters from 30 to 21
1932 58th Kentucky Derby: Eugene James aboard Burgoo King wins in 2:05.2
1934 World's largest pearl (6.4 kg) found at Palawan, Philippines
1938 64th Kentucky Derby: Eddie Arcaro aboard Lawrin wins in 2:04.8
1938 Dutch Minister of Justice Goseling calls fugitives of Nazi-Germany "undesired strangers"
1939 Germany & Italy announced an alliance known as the Rome-Berlin Axis
1941 British House of Commons votes for Churchill (477-3)
1941 Glenn Miller records "Chattanooga Choo Choo" for RCA

1942 Battle of Coral Sea ends stopping Japanese expansion

1942 Nazi decree orders all Jewish pregnant women of Kovno Ghetto executed
1943 Dutch men 18-35 obliged to report to labor camps
1943 Liberty Ship George Washington Carver, named after scientist, launched
1943 US 1st Armour division occupies Ferryville Tunisia
1943 US 9th Infantry division occupies Bizerta/Bensert Tunisia
1945 Formal undertaking of complete German surrender
1945 German General Keitel repeats surrender signing in Berlin for the benefit of the Russians; WWII ends in Europe
1945 Mauthausen Concentration Camp liberated
1945 Nazi Generals Jodl & Von Friedenburg surrender
1945 Princess Irene Brigade moves into the Hague Netherlands
1945 SS open fire on crowd in Amsterdam, killing 22
1946 William H Hastie inaugurated as 1st black governor of Virgin Islands
1947 "Kraft Television Theater" premieres on NBC
1947 General MacArthur approves Japanese constitution
1948 Nazi collaborator V-Mann Antonius van de Waals sentenced to death
1949 75th Kentucky Derby: Steve Brooks aboard Ponder wins in 2:04.2
1953 Record 537-kg swordfish is caught by L E Marron, in Chile
1954 French surrender to Vietminh after 55-day siege at Dien Bien Phu
1954 US, Great-Britain & France reject Russian membership in NATO
1955 81st Kentucky Derby: Bill Shoemaker aboard Swaps wins in 2:01.8
1955 USSR signs peace treaty with France & Great-Britain
1955 West Europe Union established
1956 Battle at Oran, Algeria, kills 300
1958 Major Howard Johnson, USAF, sets aircraft altitude record in F-104 (Lockheed Starfighter), 27,810 meters
1959 "Roy Campanella Night" Largest baseball crowd (93,103 in Los Angeles Coliseum) sees Dodgers' Sandy Koufax beat Yankees 6-2 in exhibition
1960 86th Kentucky Derby: Bill Hartack on Venetian Way wins in 2:02.4
1960 Leonid Brezhnev replaces Kliment Voroshilov as President of USSR
1960 USSR announces Francis Gary Powers confessed to being a CIA spy
1962 US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Christmas Island
1963 Bruno Sammartino becomes WWF champion
1963 SETC Telstar 2 launched (apogee 6,700 miles (10,800 km))
1966 92nd Kentucky Derby: Donald Brumfield aboard Kauai King wins in 2:02
1966 Mamas & Papas "Monday Monday" hits #1
1969 Lieutenant General Robert E Cushman, Jr, USMC, becomes deputy director of CIA
1970 "Long & Winding Road" becomes Beatles' last American release
1975 President Ford declares an end to "Vietnam Era"
1975 Small Astronomy Satellite Explorer 53 launched to study X-rays
1977 103rd Kentucky Derby: Jean Cruguet on Seattle Slew wins in 2:02.2
1982 Federal jury rules NFL violates antitrust laws in preventing Oakland Raiders from moving to Los Angeles
1982 IBM releases PC-DOS version 1.1
1982 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1983 109th Kentucky Derby: Ed Delahoussaye on Sunny's Halo wins in 2:02.2
1983 August Hoffman perform record 29,051 consecutive sit-ups
1984 $180 million out-of-court settlement reached in Agent Orange suit
1985 10 years after the Vietnam War ended, New York City honored Vietnam veterans with a huge ticker tape parade.
1987 Diane Chambers' (Shelley Long) final episode on Cheers
1987 Rep. Stewart McKinney, R-Conn., died of AIDS at age 56, the first member of Congress identified as a victim of the disease.
1989 Mark Merrony (Wales) cycles for 30 minutes in Nepal at 21,030 feet
1989 Panamanian voters reject dictator Manuel Noriega's bid for presidency
1992 5 NYC cops arrested in Hauppauge Long Island for selling cocaine
1992 Constitutional amendment barring mid-term congressional raises passes
1992 Jockey Angel Cordero retires after winning over 7,000 horse races
1992 US space shuttle STS-49 launched (maiden voyage of Endeavour)
1994 120th Kentucky Derby: Chris McCarron on Go For Gin wins in 2:03.6
1994 Edvard Munchs painting "The Scream" recovered 3 months after stolen
1995 Jacques Chirac wins French presidential election
1995 Twins beat Indians 10-9 in 17 innings, 6 hours & 36 minutes (Hey, let's play two!)
1997 Galileo, 4th Ganymede Flyby (Orbit 8)
1998 iMac unveiled
1999 NATO jets struck the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, killing three people and injuring 20

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Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"

Dahomey : Anniversary of the Presidential Council
Scotland : Spring Day
Thailand : State Ploughing Ceremony Day
New Orleans : McDonogh Day (1850) (Friday)
World : Tuba Day
National Turn Off Your TV Week (Day 5)
Put-a-Book-in-Your Future Day
Good Car Keeping Month

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Religious Observances
Christian : May Fellowship Day (Church Woman United)
old Roman Catholic : Feast of St Stanislaus, bishop, martyr, patron of Poland
St. Notkar Balbulus Feast Day

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Religious History
1274 The Second Council of Lyons convened under Gregory X. attended by approximately 500 bishops, this council accomplished a temporary reunion of the separated Eastern Orthodox churches with the Roman Catholic Church.
1787 The New Jerusalem Church was formally established in London. More popularly known as Swedenborgianism, its theological tenets were based on the writings of Swedish scientist and mystic Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772). The first congregation in the U.S. was formed in Baltimore in 1792.
1839 Birth of Elisha A. Hoffman, American clergyman and a prolific writer of Gospel songs. His musical legacy has left the Church such favorites as: "What a Wonderful Savior," "I Must Tell Jesus," "Are You Washed in the Blood?" "Glory to His Name" and "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms."
1899 Amer Presbyterian missionary James Burton Rodgers, 34, preached his first sermon in the Philippines. Rodgers spent the next 35 years in evangelistic and educational ministries, and is regarded as the first Protestant missionary to the Philippines.
1951 Religious program "The Circuit Rider" broadcast for the last time over ABC television. Featuring sacred music and biographies of great evangelists, the series had premiered only two months earlier, in March.

Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.

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Thought for the day :
"How often we fail to realize our good fortune in living in a country where happiness is more than a lack of tragedy."

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Actual Newspaper Headlines...
Soviet Virgin Lands Short of Goal Again

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Why did the Chicken cross the Road...
KARL MARX: It was a historical inevitability.

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Stocks To Watch In 2004 Watch for these consolidations in 2004 and make yourself a bundle...
Grey Poupon and Docker Pants are expected to become....Poupon Pants

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Guide to REAL driving...
Never pass on the left when you can pass on the right. It's a good way to scare people entering the highway.

[Professional Engineer]

Dog Lover story.

General's gift to squadron lifts spirits, boosts morale
Submitted by: 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
Story Identification Number: 20045452549
Story by Staff Sgt. Houston F. White Jr.

AL TAQQADUM, Iraq(May 4, 2004) -- The unconditional love and loyalty of an 11-week-old Iraqi puppy named Melissa has softened the hearts of the battle-hardened "Rhinos" of Marine Wing Support Squadron 374, Marine Wing Support Group 37.

"I believe all Marines, in their hearts, are dog lovers," said Maj. Gen. James F. Amos, commanding general, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, "so it's easy to have compassion for a dog who is out in the middle of a war zone. I felt that maybe a dog would pick their spirits up and be something the squadron could identify with and get a touch of home."

Melissa's mom, Luci

Luci continues to settle into her role as the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing mascot in Al Asad, Iraq, May 2. The courageous pooch credited with saving American lives is the mother of Melissa, the new mascot of Marine Wing Support Squadron 374, Marine Wing Support Group 37, 3rd MAW. Photo by: Sgt. David M. Walsh

More here

[Valin]

An equally modest contingent from America’s Pastime served in Vietnam. Baltimore Orioles outfielder Al Bumbry led an infantry platoon; he was able to boast that all of his men made it home.

And this is a good thing!

Vietnam vet Bumbry lauds hero Tillman




By Bob Matthews
Democrat and Chronicle columnist
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/sports/columns/05025B43VM5_sports.shtml
May 2, 2004) — Al Bumbry won an International League batting title as a Rochester Red Wing two years after serving as a tank commander in the Vietnam War.
He knows a true hero when he sees one, and he rates the late Pat Tillman high on the list.

The Arizona Cardinals safety-turned-Army Ranger was killed in action in Afghanistan last month.

”I admired Pat so much for volunteering when he had so much going for him as a pro athlete. That’s a pretty unique thing in our society,” Bumbry said Thursday at Frontier Field, where he was checking out the Buffalo Bisons in his role as outfielder-base running coordinator for Cleveland’s minor-league system.

”The price of freedom isn’t free. Pat Tillman was among those who gave their lives so we could enjoy what we have in this country today.”

Bumbry was in the ROTC program at Virginia State College in 1969 and figured he was headed to Vietnam after graduating with his bachelor’s degree in physical education.

”I had an obligation to serve, but I wasn’t looking forward to it,” he says.

Instead of pursuing his pro baseball career, he was on the military list. He was in Vietnam from April 1970 through April 1971.

”I was in the jungle for nine months and responsible for 45 men at a time,” he said. “We saw our share of action, but fortunately all but two of us came home.”

Bumbry says he learned a lot about himself in his two years in the Army, “particularly in Vietnam. I grew up quickly. I matured a lot.”

For example, he admits he had difficulty in map reading courses during training at Fort Meade, Md.

”But once I got over there (Vietnam), I became an excellent map reader,” he said. “Under the circumstances, I had to be.”

He was promoted from second lieutenant to first lieutenant in Vietnam and was due to become a captain. All he had to do was extend his tour of duty.

”I was proud to serve, but I was no lifer,” he recalled. “It was time to resume my baseball career.”

Just prior to reporting for active duty in the summer of 1969, Bumbry had struggled in his pro baseball debut with Stockton of the Single-A California League. In 35 games, he batted .178 with three RBI.

”And I think two of those three RBI were on walks with the bases loaded,” he recalls.

Bumbry was discharged from Army active duty in April 1971, and the boy who struggled in Stockton was a man that summer with Aberdeen of the Northern League. He hit .336 with 68 runs, six HRs and 53 RBI in 66 games.

”After Vietnam, I had a different outlook,” he said. “I would never say baseball is easy, but it seemed easier than before.”

In 1972, “Bumblebee” started the season at Double-A Asheville. He was hitting .347 in 26 games when injuries in Rochester prompted his promotion to the Triple-A Red Wings. He was an immediate hit for manager Joe Altobelli’s team and delighted the fans with his bat and exceptional speed.

Bumbry hit a league-leading .345 in 108 games, led the IL in triples (15), didn’t commit a single error in center field and was the league’s Rookie of the Year.

In 1973, he was the American League Rookie of the Year. In 110 games with Baltimore, he hit .337 and led the league with 11 triples.

Bumbry enjoyed a productive 14-year major league career, all but his final season with the Orioles. He hit .281 with 1,472 hits, 778 runs, 220 doubles, 52 triples, 54 HRs, 402 RBI and 264 stolen bases. He played in two World Series with Baltimore, including Altobelli’s 1983 world championship team.

”Through the years, people asked me if spending two years in the Army set back my career, but I never thought so,” he said. “As it turned out, the year I spent in Vietnam probably helped me.”

Bumbry earned a Bronze Star in Vietnam but no Purple Hearts.

”That’s an award you don’t want,” he says. “I was fortunate.”

Bumbry was among the few modern pro athletes to see combat, but he says, “I never considered myself a hero. I had made a commitment to be there. It was my duty.

”Pat Tillman had it made as an NFL player, but he felt strongly that defending our country was more important. He won’t have the chance to play pro football again. He was a hero.”

One of the many reasons why the NFL has become America’s most popular spectator sport is a system that enables bad teams to become competitive teams in a relatively short time. Every season, a handful of also-rans turn into playoff contenders.

[CholeraJoe]

Morning ma'am.

[Colonel_Flagg]

What a great idea for a thread, Sam. Good morning to you both!

I was happy to read about Bob Feller on this thread. The Alabama, for those interested in trivia, was the only United States capital ship to see action in World War II that did not suffer a single combat casualty.

One player left off the list, though, was no less than "Big Six", the immortal Christy Mathewson. He served in the Army in World War I and was exposed to poison gas that eventually contributed to his death from tuberculosis in 1925 at age 45. He won 373 games, mostly for the Giants, and was one of five original members of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Military history and baseball history .. it's rare indeed when two of my favorite subjects cross!

[Soaring Feather]

Good morning everyone!