“No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.” ~ James Allen
Today is Memorial Day in the US. It is a day to honour our fallen men and women who died in the military. It is observed on the last Monday of May.
Memorial Day grew out of towns after the Civil War that held a remembrance of their locals that gave their lives in the war. General John A. Logan organized a nationwide day of remembrance for May 30, 1868, and asked that the graves of fallen soldiers be decorated with flowers. He picked this day because no battles of the Civil War were fought on the date. This tradition became known as Decoration Day and continued for decades. In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act which in effect gave us three-day holiday weekends. This also established that Memorial Day as it came to be known as a federal holiday and would always be the last Monday of May. 1971 was the first year for this schedule.
Baseball as America’s Pastime (always has been, always will be) has observed Memorial Day rituals for years. Many players served in the military during their careers. Hall of Fame players like Ted Williams (both WWII and Korea), Stan Musial, Joe DiMaggio, Pee Wee Reese, Warren Spahn, Bob Feller all served in WWII. Yogi Berra was a gunner’s mate during the D-Day Landing. Ty Cobb and Christy Mathewson were in the Army’s Chemical Service Unit during WWI. Countless others that played and continued playing afterwards served.
It had been calculated by The Society of American Research member Gary Bedingfield that 535 baseball players have died either in combat, from wounds suffered in combat, from illness or by accidents while serving their country since the Civil War. There were twelve that had Major League experience.
These are those men who gave their lives for their country:
William E. "Bill" Stearns, March 20, 1853 - Dec. 30, 1898
Stearns served as a drummer at age 12 in the Civil War. He was a pitcher in the National Association for a few teams and then later volunteered to serve in the Army during the Spanish-American War. He participated in the first landing in Puerto Rico and died a few months later after becoming ill. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Alexander Thomson "Tom" Burr, Nov. 1, 1893 - Oct. 12, 1918
Burr pitched and played shortstop at Choate School in Connecticut and later at Williams College in Massachusetts. He played one game for the New York Yankees before serving with the U.S. Army Air Service. He died when his plane collided with another plane during drills in France.
Harry E. Chapman, Oct. 26, 1885 - Oct. 21, 1918
Chapman, was a catcher in the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, and the Atlanta Crackers organizations. He also played for the St. Louis Terriers, St Louis Browns, and the Little Rock Travelers. He joined the Army in 1917 and died of influenza-induced pneumonia.
LaVerne A. "Larry" Chappell, Feb.19, 1890 - Nov. 8, 1918
Chappell, played outfield for the Milwaukee Brewers in Class AA ball. He was purchased by the Chicago White Sox. He later played for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Braves and then with the Columbus Senators and Salt Lake Bees. While playing for the Bees in the Pacific Coast league he joined the Army in 1918. He was in the Army Medical Corp and contracted influenza while stationed at Letterman General Hospital in San Francisco, dying there from the illness.
Harry M. Glenn, June 9, 1890 - Oct. 12, 1918
Glenn, a catcher played six games for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1915 and ended up with the Saint Paul Saints for a couple seasons. He was drafted into the Army and served as an aviation mechanic. He developed pneumonia and died in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Edward L. "Eddie" Grant, May 21, 1883 - Oct. 5, 1918
Known as "Harvard Eddie," he played baseball and basketball at Harvard University. Then played in the majors for the Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds and Mew York Giants having a 10-year career. Grant retired after the 1915 season and practiced law. He enlisted in 1917 and served as a Captain in an Infantry Regiment. He was killed during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive by an exploding shell. He was the first MLB player to be killed in action in WWI.
Newton S. "Newt" Halliday, June 18, 1896 - April 6, 1918
Halliday only had one at-bat with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He struck out in the second game of a doubleheader on August 19, 1916. He joined the Navy in 1917 and died from tuberculosis at the Great Lakes Naval Station in Illinois.
Ralph E. Sharman, April 11, 1895 - May 24, 1918
Sharman played in 13 games for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1917. He joined the Army after the season. He drowned in a training exercise at Camp Sheridan in Montgomery Alabama. He held the rank of corporal.
Robert G. "Bun" Troy, Aug. 27, 1888 - Oct. 7, 1918
Troy played in one Major League game, pitching for the Detroit Tigers. He played in the minors until 1917 when he joined the Army. He was part of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, he was fatally shot in the chest and died in an Evacuation Hospital in France. He held the rank of sergeant and was the second MLB player to be killed in action in WWI.
Elmer Gedeon, April 15, 1917 - April 20, 1944
Gedeon played baseball, football and ran track at the University of Michigan. He played in five games for the Washington Senators. He was drafted in 1941 and served in the Army Air Force, earning his pilot’s wings. He was shot down on a bombing mission over France. He and five members of his crew died. He was the first Major League played killed in WWII.
Harry M. O'Neill, May 8, 1917 - March 6, 1945
O'Neill went to Gettysburg College where he was a three-sport athlete. He played in just one game, as a catcher for the Philadelphia Athletics. He played two seasons in semi-pro ball and then enlisted in the Marines after Pearl Harbor was bombed in December of 1941. He was placed in Officer Candidate School and served as a first lieutenant. He was killed by a sniper at Iwo Jima on March 6, 1945. He was the second Major League player killed in WWII.
Robert O. "Bob" Neighbors, Nov. 9, 1917 - Aug. 8, 1952
Neighbors played seven games at shortstop for the St. Louis Browns. He joined the Army Air Force in May of 1942. He played for his base team. After the war, he chose to stay in the service. While piloting a night mission in August 1952 his plane was shot down. Originally reported as missing in action, he would later be confirmed as dead. He was the only Major League player killed in Korea.
On this day, when we drink a cold beer, grill some food, and watch a baseball game with family and friends, remember those who gave their lives for this country and for our way of life. Also think of those that came back from wars changed, emotionally, physically, and psychologically from who they were when they left. Give thanks and remember.
Thanks for reading.
~ Coach Mike
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Thanks for this honoring the Players who went to war to protect us. ⚾🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Thank you for this beautifullly written Memorial Day post🙏 We have so much to be grateful for because of these brave incredible men and women who gave their lives to make ours better‼️🇺🇸 God bless the USA🙏🙏🙏