Hall of Fame War Veterans

[jingram058]

Originally Posted by BobC

Feller should be at the top of your list. My understanding is that he was the first professional athlete to go and voluntarily enlist right after Pearl Harbor. Also, he actually served as a Naval CPO/gun captain aboard the USS Alabama, and took part in many historic WW II naval battles. He didn't just stay off the battlefield or behind the front lines, playing exhibition baseball games to entertain troops. Also, Feller lost virtually four seasons to the war, making it back to appear in only 9 games in 1945 right as the war ended.

Meanwhile, comments about Ted Williams possibly being the most well-known/famous of all MLB veterans, probably due a lot to his having served during both WW II and the Korean War, are most likely true, but maybe a bit misguided. Williams did not run right out and enlist, like many other MLB players did. And my understanding is his military service was due to being drafted, and even then he sought to get out of serving and appealed to have his classification changed from 1-A to 3-A. He ended up joining the Naval Reserve in May, 1942, until finally being called up to active duty in 1943. And because Williams had originally entered the Naval Reserve instead of just going into active service when drafted during WW II, he was still on the Naval Reserve list when the Korean War started, and got called up to active duty again. Word is he was "livid" about being called up a second time, but had to pay the price and serve again due to his actions in trying to defer, if not get out of serving entirely, during WW II.

And by the way, on December 9, 1941, when Feller enlisted, his father was terminally ill at that time so he was actually exempt from military service because of that. But he voluntarily decided to enlist right then anyway. Just a little factual background for those of you that may put Williams way up above others on that hero list for his military service.

Feller is one of my all-time favorites. I visited the USS Alabama in Mobile a few years ago. They have his rack in CPO berthing kept as it was when he was aboard. He came out with the MCI (Verizon now) Ambassadors of Baseball tour in the 1991-92 timeframe while I was serving on USS Independence. Feller, Johnny Vander Meer, Graig Nettles, Bert Campenaris, and Rick Waite. I met, shook hands with, and talked to Bob Feller and Johnny Vander Meer. Two of the nicest guys I ever talked to. I talked to Bob Feller for at least 10 minutes. He gave me an autographed baseball card. Johnny Vander Meer, another hero of mine, gave me an autographed post card.