Heroes On and Off The Field

Great athletes excel on the field, but exceptional athletes excel off it. In recognition of Veterans Day, consider these heroes who also served their country during times of war. On furlough from the Army, heavyweight boxing champion and Pvt. Joe Louis donated proceeds of his March 1942 bout with Abe Simon at Madison Square Garden to the Army Emergency Fund. Army Spc. Pat Tillman played safety for the Arizona Cardinals for four seasons before enlisting after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and was subsequently killed in a friendly fire incident in Afghanistan in 2004. Boston Red Sox legend Ted Williams received his wings and commission in the Marine Corps and upon being recalled during the Korean War, flew 37 missions and received the Air Medal and two gold stars for meritorious achievement. New York Yankee Joe DiMaggio served three years in the Army before helping the Boys from the Bronx capture four World Series titles. Cleveland Indians pitcher Bob Feller became the first major league player to enlist in the military a day after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and became a Navy Chief Petty Officer aboard the USS Alabama. Rocky Bleier, who suffered shrapnel wounds to the back, hips and legs in the Vietnam War, was drafted into the Army in 1968 and won a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star in 1969. He returned to the Steelers in 1972 and helped them to four Super Bowl victories. Before breaking major league baseball's color barrier in 1947, Brooklyn Dodgers legend and Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson was a second lieutenant in the Army. Heisman trophy winner and Dallas Cowboy football great Roger Staubach attended the Naval Academy and served the Navy, including a one-year tour of duty in Vietnam as a supply officer. Boxer Gene Tunney joined the Marine Corps and was discharged in July 1919 as a private with an excellent character of service. He would later defeat Jack Dempsey for the world heavyweight boxing championship. Fellow fighter Ken Norton, also a Marine, was a two-time heavyweight champion. NBA great David Robinson, a Naval Academy grad, wore the uniform of the Navy as did Yankees backstop Yogi Berra. Not only did players contribute to the cause, as evidenced by Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry, a U.S. Army Air Force B-17 bomber co-pilot who flew 30 missions in Europe during World War II. To these and many others, thank you for your service and for the memories.