ATHLETS AS WAR HEROS

Being that today is June 6^th, in remembrance of the hero’s of Normandy in 1944, let’s look at some of the men who left the playing field for the battlefield.

Barney Ross-Boxer

Born on December 23, 1909 in NYC, with the name "Dov-Ber Rasofsky," the son of a rabbi and a shopkeeper. His family moved to Chicago when he was a boy to a Jewish ghetto on Maxwell Street. Ross followed the advice his father gave him  to, "let the atheists be the fighters . . . the trumbeniks, the murderers - we are the scholars." ¹ Ross's goal was to become a Talmudic scholar like his father.

When Ross was 13, his father was murdered, shot dead resisting a robbery in his store and this impacted Ross’ life. His mother suffered a nervous breakdown after the murder and most of his siblings were either sent to live in orphanages or with members of the family. Ross was left totally on his own and soon became a brawler, thief and money-runner. One of his street pals was the young Jack Ruby, who would later gain infamy as Oswald's executioner. For a period he even worked for Al Capone.

He became a boxer to reunite his family, knowing that, he could make decent money as a "pawnshop fighter," a boxer pawning off the watches and shoes he'd win in bouts. His mother returned once he started to earn money and win matches, but he fought under the name "Barney Ross," to conceal his new career from his mother.

Winning the Chicago and Intercity Golden Gloves in 1929 Ross fought almost 200 amateur fights with a winning record! He was known for his speed, resourcefulness and strength, but never knocked out anyone. Turning pro in 1929 he fought a series of bouts leading up to facing the world Lightweight and Jr. Welterweight champion Tony Canzoneri in Chicago. He won by a shocking decision as a huge underdog in ten rounds.

Between welterweight and lightweight classes, he fought over the next several years gaining and defending different world titles, including three wars against his arch rival Jimmy Mc Larnin. As a crowd favorite, Ross, the "Pride of the Ghetto" was fighting in front of crowds as great as 70,000 fans!

Barney Ross w/Jimmy Mc Larnin

Ross was a chronic gambler, in his private life, losing huge amounts ($30,000 or more) at the track, and owing money to bookies, loan sharks and mobsters. He drank, caroused, a d wasted his money.

On May 31, 1938, his last fight, he fought Henry Armstrong, losing by a decision in

15 rounds. From the 4^th round on he refused to quit, even with the referee pleaded with his managers to throw in the towel. Ross had always gone the distance and desperately wanted to end his career in the same manner. Despite the brutal punishment he took, the referee, understanding the significance of letting it continue, allowed it to do so.

He retired with the record 72 wins, 4 losses, 3 draws and 2 no-contests, with 22 wins by way of knockout.

ARoss enlisted in the U.S. Marines in World War II, in spite of being somewhere between 32 and 34 years old and beyond draft age! He was assigned to work as a boxing instructor, but requested that he be sent into combat. He was shipped to Guadalcanal Island, to fight against the Japanese.

On night patrol he and three comrades were attacked by Japanese troops. His three fellow Marines were wounded and Ross dragged them into a hole where he fought off the Japanese throughout the night. He fired over 200 rounds at the enemy and 22 hand grenades at enemy machine gun positions, killing roughly 20 of the enemy. The morning saw two of his comrades dead and Ross was carrying the sole Marine to safety. He received the Silver Star, Purple Heart, and a Presidential Citation.

After a hospital stay that left him addicted to cocaine, he became a crusader against drugs, lecturing all over the country after the war. Ross died of cancer in his adopted hometown of Chicago when he was 57 years old. He is a member of the International Boxing Hall Of Fame.

Hank Gowdy-Baseball player

Henry Morgan Gowdy was a baseball player: who happened to play for the Miracle Braves of 1914, holds the single World Series batting average record of .545 for a catcher in the 1914 World Series. Gowdy was also the very first major league ball player to enlist into military in WWI, and a war hero who served in two world wars!

Born on August 24, 1889 in Columbus, Ohio. He played football, basketball and baseball at North High School in Columbus.  He enjoyed all team sports and as a walk-on convinced an official from the Columbus Senators to give him a tryout.  He played with Lancaster in the Ohio State League and then with Dallas in the Texas League.  By this time,

In 1910 found Gowdy playing seven games for McGraw’s New York Giants.  Batting only .214 that season during the 1911 season he was traded to the Boston Braves. In 1912 and 1913, he was sent to the minor leagues playing baseball and catching for the Buffalo Bisons. It was in Buffalo that he learned his trade.

In 1912 while with the Bisons, Gowdy came under the notice of veteran manager George Stallings.  George Stallings was the son of a Confederate General, and was known for his hardnosed baseball.  By 1914 the Braves had been absolutely dominated for several years by Gowdy’s old team, the New York Giants. The Giants in 1913 had won 101 games while winning the National League pennant.  Stallings’ Braves had ended up in fourth place, winning 69 games but losing 82.  It was a huge improvement of their last place finish a year before in which they won only 52 games! In 1914, things would suddenly turn around for the Braves and Gowdy and Mr. Stallings! Not only did the Braves embark on the greatest team comeback in major league baseball history when they came back from being over 20 games out of first place in early July, but the team overtook McGraw’s Giants with ease in September and went on to sweep in World Series against the heavily favored Philadelphia Athletics.  It was in the October classic that Gowdy would shine.

Reggie Jackson was not the original Mr. October!  Gowdy got six hits and batted .545 for the World Series with three doubles, a homer and a triple. He also had key hits din all four games and won the final game going three for four!  

Gowdy was famous for becoming the first major leaguer to enlist in World War I.  On June 1, 1917, Gowdy signed up with the Ohio National Guard.  

A war record that was quite impressive, Gowdy served with distinction in the 166th Infantry Regiment that became part of the famed “Rainbow Division,” the Fighting 42nd. The 42nd Division was also known as the “Rainbow Division, always being surrounded by actual rainbows on their way to and during the battle that they were a part of in France during the war.  

March of 1918, found Gowdy and the Fighting 42nd settled in the Lorraine region of France.  Occupied by the Germans, it had been quiet for several months, but once the 42nd arrived the Germans attacked with a vengeance.  The 42nd held their ground despite constant and repeated German artillery bombing and bloody hand-to-hand combat.  Fighting continued for weeks and the Germans could never advance past the 42nd.  The “Rainbow Division” did suffer thousands of casualties at the war’s end.  After the war’s end, it was reported in the German press that they believed Gowdy’s 42nd was the finest fighting unit in the U.S. Army.

Reports of the day confirm that Hank Gowdy’s reputation as a tough, fearless leader was well-deserved.  Colonel B.W. Hough, commander of the 166th is quoted as saying that Gowdy was one of his top men in a regiment of many great soldiers.  “Every outfit ought to have somebody like Hank,” Hough said.  “The boys idolize him and he gets them all stirred up with his baseball stories.  He helps ‘em forget about the terror of war.”  Then Hough became serious.  “He carried the flag and . . . he was one of them who heaved gas bombs at the enemy . . . he was fantastic!”

Gowdy was lucky enough to return to the United States alive and unscathed! He was offered $1,500 a week for 30 weeks to tour the country and speak of his war heroics. Hank continued to play ball with the Boston Braves from 1919 through mid 1923.  

Gowdy played nearly 149 games for the New York Giants after being traded during a two and a half year stretch.  He played in the 1923 and 1924 World Series championship contests for the Giants.  His team captured the title in 1923, but Gowdy is most noted for an unfortunate incident that happened to him during the

After 17 years in the majors and another world series as a player, Hank Gowdy was not one to disappear.  Although he never played after 1930, he would be a major league coach for three different teams – the Boston Braves, New York Giants and Cincinnati Reds.  When World War II broke out, Gowdy served his country again and at age 53 was commissioned a Major in the United States Army.  He again served with distinction and became the Chief Athletic Officer at Fort Benning, Georgia.  The baseball diamond at Fort Benning, is called “Hank Gowdy Field.”  Gowdy passed away at the age of 76 on August 1, 1966.

That's all I wrote, Folks!