WWII BASEBALL The 313th Bombardment Wing Flyers – a Major League Baseball exhibition team in the Pacic Theater during World War II First row, left to right: Al Lien, Pacic Coast League: Taft Wright, Chicago White Sox; Buster Mills, Cleveland Indians; Dario Lodigliano, Chicago White Sox; Stan Rojek, Brooklyn Dodgers; Charlie Silvera; Johnny Mazur; Bill Dudley Second row: Mike McCormick, Cincinnati Reds; Ralph Lamson; Tex Hughson, Boston Red Sox; Sid Hudson; Herm Reich, Pacic Coast League; Bill Schmidt, Pacic Coast League; Bob Dillinger, Toledo AA; Chet Kehn, Brooklyn Dodgers EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER 14: ing game in July. Games were played on Saipan, It was a snap for the same Army engineers who Tinian and Guam. One early series was played at built the world’s largest air strip to construct a Iwo Jima. few ballelds. All they needed was someone to give them the specs. It was like having a portable All three teams had good, major league pitching. stadium. Carve the eld out of the jungle, build The games were played all out, like a pennant up a mound, lay down some bases, and play ball. was on the line. There was the occasional ght. The boys played hard. The elds were dirt. Seats were made of bomb crates, of which there were plenty. Bomb crates Bill: “Enos Slaughter and I got along ne. He played also made good fences. The teams realized full steam. He stole second base in a game and quickly that the crate fences could be adjusted, came in spikes high. Joe Gordon was playing depending on who was pitching and which team second. Gordon says, ‘Dammit, Enos, what’s wrong got to the eld rst. with you? Coming in here spikes like that?’ Enos says, ‘Joe, when I steal a base it’s mine. I don’t care if The three teams played a 27 game round-robin it’s in New York, St. Louis or here in the islands. If series. There were 12,000 spectators at the open- you don’t like it, get the hell out of the way.’ Gordon just shook his head and went back to position.”.