Issue 36 June 2015 Baseball and D-Day Welcome to the 36th issue of the Baseball in Wartime newsletter . This issue focuses on the D-Day Normandy Landings. A similar feature appeared in issue 21 back in 2009, commemorating the 65th anniversary. This is a revised version as we look back on the events of 71 years ago. By the start of the 1944 season, around 340 major league players were in military service, plus more than 3,000 from the minors, and with the vast manpower shortage, just 10 minor leagues were in operation. Every branch of the service had an abundance of former ballplayers helping to fill their ranks and many were in Britain as part of the pre- invasion preparations. Among them were future Hall of Famer Yogi Berra, major leaguers Larry French, Roy Bruner, Paul Campbell, Whitey Hilcher, Earl Johnson, Art Kenney, Ted Kleinhans, Si Rosenthal, Tom Saffell, Lou Thuman, Monte Weaver and Elmer Gedeon; future major leaguers Russ Bauers, Ross Grimsley, Morrie Martin, Eddie Kazak and Bert Shepard; and minor leaguers Lefty Brewer, Syl Sturges, Elmer Wright, Hal Cisgen, John Fessler, Walt Hemperly, Ralph Ifft, Chuck Eisenmann, Joe Rundus, Lloyd Rice, John McNicholas, Joe Marco and Frank Labuda. Six of them would be dead before the end of June. The following pages provide an historical account of D-Day interwoven with biographical details of the ballplayers who were there. I hope you enjoy this account of baseball’s contribution to D-Day. I would love to hear from you and to hear your thoughts on this project, and would especially like to hear of any players that may have been omitted. PEOPLE OF WESTERN EUROPE! A LANDING WAS MADE THIS MORNING ON THE COAST OF FRANCE BY TROOPS OF THE ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY FORCE, THIS LANDING IS PART OF THE CONCERTED UNITED NATIONS’ PLAN FOR THE LIBERATION OF EUROPE, MADE IN CONJUNCTION WITH YOUR GREAT RUSSIAN ALLIES. ALTHOUGH THE INITIAL ASSAULT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN MADE IN YOUR OWN COUNTRY, THE HOUR OF LIBERATION IS APPROACHING. GENERAL EISENHOWER JUNE 6, 1944 Baseball in Wartime Newsletter No. 36 June 2015 The Commanders General Dwight D. Eisenhower before the Eisenhower was invasion, he the Supreme Allied supervised the Commander of refinement of the Allied assault plans and Expeditionary troop training. Force and was charged with Bradley had been planning and a star on the carrying out of the baseball team at invasion. Moberly High Eisenhower loved baseball. Historian Bill School in Missouri, captaining both the Swank says that in his senior year at Abilene baseball and football teams He enrolled at (Kansas) High School, Eisenhower was the the United States Military Academy at West baseball team captain and leading hitter, Point in the fall of 1911 and became an and he went on to play football for Army alternate on the freshman baseball team during his sophomore year, but a horse the following spring. He went on to letter riding injury precluded further participation three years in baseball and one in football. in intercollegiate athletics. However, rumors A power-hitting outfielder, he was noted for that he played baseball professionally - having a great arm and even played on a under an assumed name - are probably number of semi-pro teams. “It is almost trite untrue. to observe,” he said, “that in organized team sports one learns the important art of During the build-up to D-Day, Eisenhower group cooperation in goal achievement. was based at Strategic Air Force No extracurricular endeavor I know of could Headquarters in London - also home to the better prepare a soldier for the battlefield.” 988th Military Police and their baseball team, the Fliers. Eisenhower frequently Colonel Russell “Red” Reeder inquired about the progress of the Fliers. "I Colonel Reeder, spoke to him on numerous occasions when I commander of was on duty at the main gate," recalled the 12th Infantry Fliers' first baseman Norbert Kuklinski. "He Regiment of the always asked after the team and even got 4th Infantry to see a couple of our games." Division at Utah Beach, was an General Omar Bradley exceptional Bradley was in charge of the 1st U.S. Army baseball and at Normandy, and during the months football player at Go to www.baseballinwartime.com/subscribe.html to subscribe to this newsletter Baseball in Wartime Newsletter No. 36 June 2015 The Commanders West Point in the 1920s and had a tryout Who's on First: Replacement Players with the New York Giants. He was offered a in World War II contract but chose to stay with the army. Edited by Marc Z. Aaron and Bill Nowlin On June 11, 1944, Reeder was severely wounded when an artillery shell exploded close by, shredding his left leg below the knee. His leg was later amputated at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington but he went on to become athletic director at West Point in 1947. Major Thomas D. Howie Major Howie landed at Omaha Beach on D-Day with the 116th This highly detailed look at baseball on the home front and the replacement players of the war years Infantry Regiment, has recently been released by SABR. It will make a 29th Infantry great addition to any military/baseball fan’s library. Division. Born in Abbeville, South Carolina, he worked at a local printers through high school, and as an Get in touch! outdoor labourer for the Abbeville mills [email protected] during the summer, playing baseball for the mill team. He later attended the Citadel military college, where he was president of his class, star halfback on the football team and captain of the baseball team. Following graduation, he taught English and coached at Staunton Military Academy in Virginia. On July 13, 1944, Major Howie was assigned to command the 3rd Battalion of the 116th Infantry Regiment. He was killed in action during a German mortar attack while trying to capture St-Lo on July 17, 1944. Go to www.baseballinwartime.com/subscribe.html to subscribe to this newsletter Baseball in Wartime Newsletter No. 36 June 2015 Fooling the Germans On Sunday, May 28, 1944, the 508th Parachute Speculation still hangs over the true reason this Infantry Regiment (PIR) Red Devils baseball baseball game was staged. The “official” story team played the 505th PIR Panthers before an at the time was that the Nottingham Anglo- enthusiastic crowd of 7,000, at the local soccer American Committee requested the stadium in Nottingham, England. The Red Devils Americans to stage a sporting event because had been Camp Mackall, North Carolina, the people of Nottingham had for years been champs in 1943, and this was their first chance void of entertainment. However, because the to play baseball in over nine months. “We had game was arranged by Brigadier General no uniforms,” recalled Adolph “Bud” Warnecke James M. “Jumpin’ Jim” Gavin, commander of of Fayeteville, North Carolina. “We had to wear the 82nd Airborne Division, many believe the remnants of military clothing and jump boots, so game was designed to fool the Germans. If we didn’t look much like a ball team. But I’ll American paratroopers were playing baseball always remember the great reception we got in England, how could an invasion be from the British people.” imminent? To further publicize the event, photographs were taken of each player and The Panthers proved no match for the Red sent back to their hometown newspapers. Devils. “We beat the heck out of the 505th,” Probably the most convincing fact that this said Warnecke. “The score at the end was 18 to game was staged to fool the Germans was the 0, to our guys.” noticeable absence of paratroopers in the stands at the game. Having been such a Okey Mills, a colliery league pitcher from Crab familiar sight in Nottingham for the last few Orchard, West Virginia, started the game on months, only officers and players were on the mound for the Red Devils and was relieved hand. As the crowd cheered each crack of the by Forrest "Lefty" Brewer in the fourth inning. bat, the rest of the regiment made a 40-mile Brewer was a minor league pitcher who won 25 journey to a local airfield where runways were games with St. Augustine in 1938. With his packed with C-47 transport planes adorned deceptive pick-off move, he picked off the first with black and white stripes. Preparations for two men that got on base, and the Nottingham the invasion had begun. Guardian the next day described how the teams “played with extraordinary vigor,” and noted there was “spectacular hitting, some magnificent catches and many exciting incidents.” “I think most of the spectators enjoyed the game,” remembered Lee Reisenleiter, “but it must have been hard for them to make sense of it all.” “I certainly enjoyed myself,” added Warnecke, “but little did I know that eight days later we would jump into Normandy!” Lefty Brewer www.baseballinwartime.com Baseball in Wartime Newsletter No. 36 June 2015 The 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment Red Devils pose for a photo before their game at meadow Lane soccer ground in Nottingham, England on May 28, 1944 Meadow Lane soccer ground, home of Notts County FC, also played host to U.S. Military football teams in www.baseballsgreatestsacrifice.com Baseball in Wartime Newsletter No. 36 June 2015 The Airborne Invasion The airborne assault into Normandy was the flight across the English Channel. D-Day had largest use of airborne troops up to that begun and the paratroopers would time. Paratroopers of the U.S. 82nd and spearhead the invasion. 101st Airborne divisions, the British 6th Airborne Division, and the 1st Canadian Escorting the C- Parachute Battalion took part in the assault.