Currently it's Memorial Day Weekend in the U.S., with the actual holiday being in two days. Therefore, today I thought I'd recognize the men who served in the military, and died during wartime, who also played Major League Baseball or in the NFL or AFL (the latter was absorbed into the NFL beginning in 1970, and its champions from 1966-69 played the NFL champs in what became known as the Super Bowl). I've included many of their playing statistics, too. As you'll see, this list covers all deaths--on the battlefield, later from wounds incurred by battles, accidents, and illnesses while on military bases. I hope all Americans remember soldiers like these this weekend especially, and respect their sacrifices. RIP.
Major League Baseball: (With one exception, I'm not including guys who played in the minor leagues, or independent leagues. Because if I did, this list would include hundreds of names. But if you're interested, several online sites do have these.)
World War I:
1) Robert G. (Bun)Troy. Troy was a Sergeant, and was shot during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, and died from his wounds on October 7, 1918. On the field he played briefly for the Detroit Tigers in 1912, as a pitcher. He pitched in and started one game, going 6 and 2/3 innings, giving up 9 hits, 4 runs, 4 earned runs, 3 walks, and 1 strikeout. His record was 0-1, with a 5.40 ERA, an adjusted ERA of 65, and a 0.0 WAR. He also went 0 for 2 at the plate.
2) Ralph E. Sharman. Corporal Sharman died on May 24, 1918 from drowning during a training exercise at Camp Sheridan, Alabama. He played for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1917 as an outfielder. He appeared in 13 games, and accumulated 43 plate appearances, 37 at bats, 2 runs, 11 hits, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 0 home runs, 2 rbi, 3 walks, and 1 stolen base. His overall "slash" (batting average/on base percentage/slugging average) was .297/.366/.405, his adjusted batting average was 138, and his WAR was 0.3.
3) Newton S. Halliday. Halliday died of tuberculosis while stationed at the Great Lakes Naval Station in Illinois on April 6, 1918. His rank was Captain. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1916. In his 1 game he played 4 innings in the field as a first baseman, and had 3 putouts, 1 assist, and 0 errors. At the plate he was 0 for 1. His overall WAR was 0.0.
4) Eddie L. Grant. Captain Grant also died in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, on October 5, 1918. He had the longest baseball career of anyone on this list, playing from 1905-15, for the Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, New York Giants, and Cleveland Indians as a third baseman/shortstop/second baseman. Grant played in 990 games in his 10 year career, accumulating 3762 plate appearances, 3385 at bats, 399 runs, 844 hits, 79 doubles, 30 triples, 5 home runs, 277 rbi, 153 stolen bases, and 233 walks. His slash was .249/.300/.295, his adjusted batting average was 78, and his WAR was 4.5. He also played in the 1913 World Series with the New York Giants, going 0 for 1, and scoring 1 run in 2 games, although the Giants lost to the Philadelphia Athletics.
5) Harry M. Glenn. Private Glenn died of pneumonia contracted at the Signal Corps' Aviation Mechanics School in St. Paul Minnesota on October 12, 1918. In MLB he played for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1915 as a catcher and pinch hitter. In 6 games he had 19 plate appearances, 16 at bats, 1 run, 5 hits, 0 extra base hits, 1 rbi, and 3 walks. His slash was .313/.421/.313, his adjusted batting average was 123, and his WAR was -0.2.
6) LaVerne A. Chappell. Lieutenant Chappell caught influenza while with the San Francisco Army Medical Corps in July of 1918, and died on November 18, 1918. He played for the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, and Boston Braves in his 5 year career from 1913-17, as an outfielder and pinch hitter. He played in 109 games, had 339 plate appearances, 305 at bats, 27 runs, 69 hits, 9 doubles, 2 triples, 0 home runs, 26 rbi, 25 walks, and 9 stolen bases. He slashed .226/.289/.269, and his adjusted batting average was 67. His overall WAR was -0.5.
7) Harry E. Chapman. Lieutenant Chapman also died of illness, reportedly from influenza-induced pneumonia, while in Nevada, Missouri, on October 21, 1918. Sports-wise, he was a catcher and pinch hitter from 1912-16 with the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Browns, and the St. Louis franchise in the brief (1914-15) Federal League, a MLB competitor. Overall, Chapman played in 147 games, and had 460 plate appearances, 404 at bats, 38 runs, 80 hits, 8 doubles, 5 triples, 1 homer, 44 rbi, 37 walks, and 7 steals. His lifetime slash was .198/.269/.250, his career adjusted batting average was 49, and his WAR was -1.4.
8) Alexander Thomson Burr. Burr, also a lieutenant, died in a plane crash in Cazaux, France, on October 12, 1918. His major league baseball career was much like Moonlight Graham's, whom folks may remember from the "Field of Dreams" movie, when Graham's real life story was somewhat fictionalized. Burr played in 1 game for the New York Yankees in 1914, and played 2 innings in the field as a center fielder. He had no chances or putouts, and did not get any plate appearances, at bats, etc. Obviously his WAR was 0.0.
World War II:
1) Harry M. (Mark) O'Neill. First Lieutenant O'Neill died on Iwo Jima on March 6, 1945. On the field he also had a Moonlight Graham-esque career, playing in 1 game for the 1939 Philadelphia Athletics as a catcher. He played 1 inning in the field, and accumulated no chances, putouts, errors, etc. And he did not have any plate appearances or at bats. Therefore, like Lt. Burr, his lifetime WAR was 0.0.
2) Elmer Gedeon. Captain Gedeon was killed in a bomber flight on April 20, 1945 near Esquerdes, France. He also played for the 1939 Washington Senators, as a center fielder/right fielder. In 5 games he had 17 plate appearances, 15 at bats, 1 run, 3 hits, 0 extra base hits, 1 rbi, 2 walks, and 0 steals. His career totals were .200/.294/.200, an adjusted batting average of 33, and a -0.1 WAR.
3) Charlie A. Frye. Private Frye died of an illness while in Hickory, North Carolina, on May 25, 1945. His playing career was as a pitcher and pinch hitter for the 1940 Philadelphia Phillies. On the mound he pitched in 15 games, with 5 starts, 50 and a third innings, 58 hits, 32 runs, 26 earned runs, 26 walks, 18 strike outs, a 0-6 won loss record, a 4.65 ERA, and an adjusted ERA of 84. At the plate, including 4 games as a pinch hitter, he had 19 plate appearances, 19 at bats, 1 run, 5 hits, 1 homer, 2 rbi, and a slash of .263//263/.421, and an adjusted batting average of 90. His combined WAR was 0.0.
Korean War:
1) Robert O. Neighbors. Major Neighbors, a pilot, was shot down on August 8, 1952, with his body never recovered. He played for the 1939 St. Louis Browns as a shortstop and pinch runner. In 7 games, he accumulated 11 plate appearances, 11 at bats, 1 run, 2 hits, 1 home run, 1 rbi, and a slash of .182/.182/.455, an adjusted batting average of 56, and a WAR of 0.0.
Honorable Mention--William E. Stearns served in the Civil War as a 12 year old (!), and later fought in Puerto Rico in the Spanish American War in 1898. He contracted an illness there, and died later that year at home in Washington, D.C. He played as an outfielder and pitcher for teams in the National Association. This league wasn't considered on par with the National League, but it was arguably the equivalent of a high minor league.
National Football League and American Football League:
(You may notice a complete lack of NFL players who served, and died in World War I. There's a good reason for this--the NFL began in 1920, or two years after World War I ended.) Also, keep in mind that statistics for defensive positions in particular were lacking before about the 1980's.
World War II:
1) Al Blozis. Second Lieutenant Blozis died on January 31,1945 in the Vosges Mountains in France. On the field he played offensive tackle for the New York Giants from 1942-44. In all he played in 23 games, all starts. Obviously even now there aren't many statistics kept for offensive lineman, and it was even more so back in the 1940's. However, Blozis did catch one pass for 15 yards in the regular season, and caught 1 for 8 yards in a 1943 playoff game. He also scored a non-offensive touchdown of unlisted means. He was clearly well respected though--he was a Pro Bowler in 1942, and made the First Team All-Pro Team in 1943. And was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame All-1940's Team as well.
2) Chet Wetterlund. Lieutenant Wetterlund died in a plane crash off the New Jersey coast on September 5, 1944. In the NFL he played one season, 1942, for the Detroit Lions as a tailback/defensive back. He appeared in 6 games, and started 3. He completed 13 of 44 passes (29.5%) for 230 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, for a passer rating of 9.3. He rushed for 6 yards on 23 carries, for a 0.3 average. He punted 11 times, for a 40.8 yard average. On special teams he returned 3 punts for 26 yards (8.7 yard average), and 5 kickoffs for 89 yards (17.8 yard average). Finally, on defense he intercepted 1 pass for 0 yards.
3) Andrew Jackson Lummus, Jr.. Lieutenant Lummus died on March 8, 1945, at Iwo Jima. He played end for the New York Giants in 1941. He played in 9 games, with 0 starts. He caught 1 pass for 5 yards.
4) Len Supulski. Lieutenant Supulski died in a plane crash during a training flight near Kearny, Nebraska, on August 31, 1943. He played end with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1942. He appeared in 9 games, with 0 starts. He caught 8 passes for 149 yards (18.6 yard average), and 1 touchdown. He rushed for 1 yard on 1 attempt. On defense he intercepted 1 pass for 5 yards.
5) Howard (Smiley) Johnson. Captain Johnson died on Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945. On the field he played guard and linebacker for the Green Bay Packers from 1940-41. He appeared in 22 games, with 1 start. He intercepted 1 pass for 10 yards. He also appeared in a playoff game in 1941.
6) Don Wemple. Lieutenant Wemple died in a transport plane crash in India on June 23, 1943. He played for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1941 (yes, for a time there was an NFL team with the same name as the MLB team), as an end. He appeared in 11 games, with 0 starts. He caught 2 passes for 37 yards (18.5 average), and 1 touchdown.
7) Keith Birlem. Major Birlem was a pilot, and died during a plane crash in Polebrook, in the U.K, on May 7, 1943. He played for the Washington Redskins in 1939 as a back/end. He played in 9 games, with 3 starts. He caught 2 passes for 17 yards (8.5 yard average), with 0 touchdowns.
8) Charles Behan. Lieutenant Behan was a Marine who died in Okinawa, Japan on May 18, 1945. He was awarded a Navy Cross. Otherwise, he played for the Detroit Lions in 1942, as an end. Behan played in 9 games, with 0 starts. He caught 4 passes for 63 yards (15.8 yard average), and 0 touchdowns.
9) Michael Martin (Nick) Basca. Corporal Basca died on November 11, 1944, when his tank was hit by an anti-tank round in Obreck, France. He played halfback for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1941. He played in 11 games, with 0 starts. He completed 0 of 4 passes, with 1 interception. He rushed for 44 yards on 15 carries (2.9 yard average), and 1 touchdown. He caught 2 passes for 45 yards (22.5 yard average). On special teams, he returned 1 punt for 8 yards, 1 kickoff for 22 yards, went 9-9 on extra point tries, 1-2 on field goal attempts, and punted 10 times for 348 yards (34.8 yard average). On defense for intercepted 3 passes for 27 yards.
10) Ruey Young Bussey. Lieutenant Bussey died on January 7, 1945 at Lingayen Gulf in the Philippines. In 1941 he played his sole season in the NFL, with the Chicago Bears, as a quarterback. He played in 10 games, with 0 starts. Overall he complete 13 of 40 passes (32.5%), for 353 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions, for a rating of 74.3. He also rushed 13 times for -27 yards, and 0 touchdowns. On defense he intercepted 2 passes for 5 yards. On special teams he punted twice for 74 yards (37.0 yard average) and returned 1 punt for 40 yards. He also was part of the Bears' 1941 title winning team. In the Championship Game he rushed 1 time for -2 yards, and completed 1 pass for 8 yards. As a title winner he also was named a Pro Bowler.
11) Alex Ketzko. Sergeant Ketzko died in France on December 23, 1944. On the field he played with the Detroit Lions in 1943, as a tackle. He appeared in 9 games, starting 3.
12) Edwin Bernard Kahn. Lieutenant Kahn died on February 17, 1943 in Leyte in the Philippines. He played for the Boston/Washington Redskins from 1935-37 as a guard. Kahn played in 24 games, starting 11. He scored 1 touchdown on a fumble return. He also was part of the 1937 title winning team.
13) Walter (Waddy) Young. Captain Young died in a plane crash in Tokyo, Japan, on January 9, 1945. He played for the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1939-40, as an end. He started 15 of 22 total games. Overall Young caught 15 passes for 185 yards (12.3 yard average), and 0 touchdowns. He also rushed 1 time for 1 yard.
14) Ed Doyle. Captain Doyle died in French Morocco on November 8, 1942 from sniper fire. He played for the Frankford Yellowjackets and Pottsville Maroons from 1924-25, playing end. The only stat I could find was that he scored 3 receiving touchdowns. (Stats from that era are notoriously lacking.)
15) J.W. (Grassy) Hinton. Lieutenant Colonel Hinton died in a plane crash over Halmahera Island in Indonesia on December 10, 1944. On the field he played tailback and quarterback for the 1932 Staten Island Stapletons. He started 6 of 12 total games. He rushed 19 times for 64 yards (3.4 yard average) and 1 touchdown, and caught 4 passes for 69 yards (17.3 yard average), and 0 touchdowns. He also completed 5 of 19 passes (26.3%) for 46 yards, 0 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, and a passer rating of 0.0.
16) William Lee Kizzire. Captain Kizzire was shot down on Wewak, New Guinea sometime in November of 1943 (records are somewhat vague). He played fullback for the 1937 Detroit Lions. All told he played in 7 games (0 starts), and rushed 7 times for 20 yards (2.9 yard average), and 0 touchdowns.
17) Jim Mooney. Corporal Mooney was shot by a sniper in France, and died on August 12, 1944. He played in the NFL from 1930-31 and 1933-35, with a variety of teams, some which are long defunct. Specifically the Brooklyn Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, Newark Tornadoes, and Chicago Cardinals, playing end, tackle, and guard. He appeared in 48 games, and started 37. He caught 9 passes for 83 yards (9.2 yard average) and 0 touchdowns. He rushed 5 times for 20 yards (4.0 yard average) and 0 touchdowns. He also completed 4 of 6 passes for 27 yards, 0 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, and a passer rating of 76.4. On special teams he kicked 2 extra points, and in addition he scored 1 safety. Mooney was named 2nd team All Pro in 1930.
18) Gus Sonnenberg. Sonnenberg died of leukemia, while serving at Bethesda, Maryland on September 12, 1944. He played tackle, fullback, and tailback in the NFL, in 1923, 1925-28, and 1930, with the Buffalo Americans, Columbus Tigers, Detroit Panthers, and Providence Steam Rollers. All told he started 56 of 61 games. He kicked 18 field goals, and 33 extra points. He also rushed for 1 touchdown. Sonnenberg was named First Team All Pro from 1925-27, and played on the 1928 NFL champion Steam Roller squad. Finally, Sonnenberg was probably best known as a heavyweight pro wrestler.
(Note--Chuck Braidwood played in the NFL, and died during World War II, while serving in the Red Cross. Since this organization is separate from the military, I didn't include him. Also, some sources claim that Bob Mackert and Frank Maher qualify for this list, but others disputed this.)
Vietnam:
1) Bob Kalsu. First Lieutenant Kalsu died in action at Thua Thien, Vietnam, on July 21, 1970. He played as a guard for the Buffalo Bills (then in the AFL) in 1968. He played in 14 games, with 9 starts. Since he was a more modern player, he has an Approximate Value stat, or AV, of 3.
2) Don Steinbrunner. Major Steinbrunner died on July 28, 1967, in Kontum, Vietnam. He played for the Cleveland Browns in 1953 as a tackle. He competed in 8 games, starting 3. He returned 1 kickoff for 23 yards. He also played in the title game that year, although the Browns lost.
Afghanistan:
1) Pat Tillman. Tillman, who was posthumously promoted to the rank of captain, died in Sperah, Afghanistan, on April 22, 2004. (It was actually an unusually ugly situation, as it was revealed later that he was killed by "friendly fire" but the military tried to cover this up.) Tillman played strong safety/free safety/defensive back for the Arizona Cardinals from 1998-2001. In 4 years he appeared in 60 games, with 39 starts. He intercepted 3 passes for 37 yards, forced 3 fumbles, and recovered 3 fumbles. He recorded 276 solo tackles, and 98 assisted tackles, for a total of 374, with 2.5 sacks. On special teams, Tillman returned 3 kickoffs for 23 yards (7.7 yard average). On offense he rushed 1 time for 4 yards. His career AV was 15.
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