Saturday, October 23, 2010

Remembering the 137 Professional Players Who gave Their Lives During WWII

I thought it was about time we revisited the 137 professional baseball players who lost their lives during WWII. Listed below, you will find their names, positions played, the years they played professional baseball, the branch of service they were with and brief details of their death. This information has been extracted from an extensive database I have on all these players. I have also included a number of photos of these brave young heroes of our game. God Bless them all.

NamePosYearsServiceDetails of Death
Jerry M. AngelichPDid Not PlayUSAAFKilled in Action
Herman A. BauerC1939-1941US ArmyDied from Wounds
Fred W. BealP1941-1942US ArmyDied in Hospital
Constantine G. "Gus" BebasP1939US NavyPlane Crash
Hugh P. Bedient, Jr.P1938USAACPlane Crash
Leonard E. "Link" BerryP1937-1941US ArmyKilled in Action
Keith F. BissonnetteOF/IF1940-1942USAAFKilled in Action
W. Davis "Buddy" BlewsterP1939-1941USMCKilled in Action
Joseph S. BorenP1935-1936US NavyPlane Crash
Charles W. "Chuck" Bowers2B1942US ArmyDied from Wounds
Forrest V. "Lefty" BrewerP1938-1940US ArmyKilled in Action
Edward A. Brock2B1940US NavyKilled in Action
Murrill J. BrownP/OF1940US NavyPlane Crash
Eldred "Whitey" BurchSS/2B1939-1940USAAFMilitary accident
George W. Chandler, Jr.SS/C1938-1940USAAFPlane Crash
Floyd E. ChristiansenIF1939-1942USMCPlane Crash
Frank J. CiaffonePDid Not PlayUSMCKilled in Action
Ordway H. "Hal" CisgenP1940-1942US ArmyKilled in Action
Clarence Clayton2B1944US ArmyKilled in Action
Howard W. DeMartiniP1937-1942US ArmyKilled in Action
Harold B. "Hal" DobsonP1939-1941USAAFPlane Crash
Norman J. DuncanSS1941US NavyKamikaze Attack
Louis E. ElkoSSDid Not PlayUSMCMilitary Accident
Charles "Chatty" Etherton, Jr.P1936-1942US ArmySuicide
Charles H. "Herb" Fash1B1936-1941US NavyExplosion
Frank FaudemOF1941-1942US ArmyKilled in Action
John H. Fessler*IF1938-1941US ArmyKilled in Action
Ernest B. Ford, Jr.P1942USMCMilitary Accident
Gene Gabrych*SS1940-1941US ArmyKilled in Action
George GambleOF1937-1938USAAFKilled in Action
Robert W. Gary, Jr.IF1941USAAFPlane Crash
Elmer J. GedeonOF1939-1940USAAFKilled in Action
Conrad W. "Connie" Graff1B/OF1940-1941US ArmyKilled in Action
Alan S. GrantP1941USAAFPlane Crash
James M. GrilkC1935-1941USAAFAuto accident
Robert J. Gruss*OF1943USAAFPlane Crash
Frank C. HaggertySS1940USAAFPlane Crash
William F. "Bill" HansenOF1941-1942US ArmyDied from Wounds
William J. "Billy" Hebert2B1939, 1941US NavyKilled in Action
Manuel P. "Nay" HernandezOF1944US ArmyKilled in Action
Robert K. Hershey1B1938-1941US NavyKilled in Action
Roswell G. HigginbothamIF/OF21-22, 28US NavyDied after Surgery
Ernest J. Holbrook1B1935-1936US ArmyKilled in Action
Robert D. HolmesP1942-1943USMCDied from Wounds
Gordon E. HoustonOF1937-1940USAAFPlane Crash
Ernest Hrovatic (Hrovatich)OF1942-1943US ArmyKilled in Action
Harry N. Imhoff, Jr.C1944USMCKilled in Action
Frank D. JanikOF1937-1940US ArmyKilled in Action
Ardys B. "Art" KellerC36, 39-43US ArmyKilled in Action
Stanley P. Klores1B1935-1938US NavyKilled in Action
Carlyle J. "Curly" KoppOF1940-1941US NavyPlane Crash
Harry B. Ladner, Jr.UMPIRE1938-1941US ArmyKilled in Action
Walter E. LakeC1938-1940US ArmyDied from Wounds
Harlan D. LarsenCDid Not PlayUSMCKilled in Action
Felix A. LittleP1939-1940US NavyPlane Crash
Walter G, "Whitey" Loos, Jr.C1939-1941USAAFPlane Crash
Andrew J. "Jack" Lummus, Jr.OF1941USMCDied from Wounds
Theodore C. "Ted" MailletP1939-1941US ArmyKilled in Action
Dom P. MalchiodiC1941-1942USAAFPlane Crash
William A. Marzalek P1941US ArmyAccident
Henry MartinezIF1937-1942US NavyLost at Sea
John W. "Duck" McKeeOF1932-1934US ArmyDied of Wounds
Paul V. A. MellblomP1938-1939US ArmyKilled in Action
George A. MeyerOF/SS1942US ArmyKilled in Action
Louis I. Miller3B1939-1940USAAFKilled in Action
Joseph T. MoceriP1941-1942US ArmyKilled in Action
John T. "Jack" MollerP/OF1939, 1941USAAFKilled in Action
Walt Navie (Walter J. Nawiesniak)P1935-1941US ArmySuicide
Jack A. Nealy1B1943USMCKilled in Action
Edward S. NeuselOF1920-1922US NavyHeart Disease
William F. "Bill" NiemeyerP40-42, 44US ArmyKilled in Action
Henry S. "Hank" NowakP1937-1941US ArmyKilled in Action
Harry M. O'NeillC1939-1940USMCKilled in Action
Joseph M. PalatasOF1942USAAFDied from Wounds
Jack H. PattersonP1936-1941USMCAccident
Metro PersoskieP/OF1940-1942USAAFPlane Crash
Charles R. PescodP1937-1942US ArmyKilled in Action
John J. "Joe" Pinder, Jr.P35-36, 38-41US ArmyKilled in Action
Henry R. "Bob" PriceOF1938-1941US NavyLost at Sea
Luster Pruett*OF1941US ArmyKilled in Action
Ernest R. Raimondi3B1936-1941US ArmyDied from Wounds
John J. ReganP1942USAAFPlane Crash
Charles J. "Pete" RehkampP1938-1941USAAFAuto Accident
Joseph W. RodgersIF1942US NavyKilled in Action
Milton "Rosey" RosensteinP1941US ArmyDied from Wounds
Herman P. RushC1938-1939US ArmyDied from Wounds
Michael L. SambolichOF1941-1942USAAFPlane Crash
Glenn F. SanfordP1940, 1942USAAFPlane Crash
William A. "Bill" SarverOF1938-1941US ArmyKilled in Action
Walter J. Schmisseur, Jr.C1942US NavyKilled in Action
Robert C. "Bob" SchmukalOF1942US ArmyKilled in Action
Edward N. SchohlSS1933-1940US ArmyDied from Wounds
Franklin C. SchulzP1940-1942USAAFKilled in Action
Carl H. "Kappy" ScottP1934, 1936US ArmyKilled in Action
Marcel L. "Major" ServentiP1935-1940US ArmyAuto Accident
Donald R. SheltonP1940US ArmyKilled in Action
Harold H. ShermanP1940-1941USAAFPlane Crash
Jack C. SiensP1939-1940US NavyPlane Crash
Arthur H. "Art" SinclairP1938US ArmyKilled in Action
John M. "Mason" SmithP1942USAAFKilled in Action
Norman K. SmithP1936-1941US NavyKilled in Action
Marshall M. SneedOF1939-1940USAAFKilled in Action
Rodney L. SooterPDid Not PlayUSAAFPlane Crash
William B. "Billy" Southworth Jr.OF1936-1940USAAFPlane Crash
Earl V. "Lefty" SpringerP1940-1941US ArmyKilled in Action
Gene Stack (Eugene F. Stachowiak)P1940US ArmyPneumonia
Donald A. StewartUMPIRE1939-1940Can ArmyKilled in Air Raid
Alvin "Bus" StieweSS1936-1938US ArmyKilled in Action
Sylvester H. "Syl" SturgesOF1939-1941USAAFKilled in Action
Fredric W. SwiftP1940-1941USAAFPlane Crash
Johnny P. Taylor3B1938-1941USMCKilled in Action
Steve L. Tonsick1B1937US ArmyKilled in Action
James Trimble IIIPDid Not PlayUSMCKilled in Action
Edgar W. TuttleP/OF1939-1940US NavyPlane Crash
Wirt B. "Beecher" Twitchell, Jr.1B/P1938-1940US ArmyKilled in Action
Lou Vann (Luigi G. Varanese)IF32-33, 38USMCAccident
Joseph Vecchio*OF1939US ArmyKilled in Action
Armando J. "Pete" ViselliSS1939USAAFPlane Crash
Arthur C. Vivian, Jr.P1942USMCKilled in Action
Elmer J. WachtlerP1942-1943US ArmyKilled in Action
Leo M.H. WalkerOF1936USAAFPlane Crash
Roman E. "Chipper" WantuckP/OF1941-1942US ArmyKilled in Action
James J. WhitfieldOF1941US ArmyKilled in Action
Richard L. "Dick" WilliamsP1940-1941US ArmyKilled in Action
Lester R. WirkkalaP1935-1941US ArmyKilled in Action
Stanford G. WolfsonOF/IF/P1941-1942USAAFKilled in Action
Thomas J. WoodruffSS1938-1941US NavyLost at Sea
Alan Wray (Alan W. Lightner)OF1939US ArmyKilled in Action
Elmere P. "Elmer" WrightP1937-1940US ArmyKilled in Action
Frederick J. YeskeP1941-1942US ArmyKilled in Action
Marion P. "Spud" YoungIF1941-1942USMCKamikaze Attack
Peter J. ZarrillaOF1940-1942USAAFPlane Crash
Lamar A. "Dutch" ZimmermanOF1940-1941US ArmyKilled in Action
John J. ZulbertiIF1937-1940US ArmyKilled in Action
George C. ZwillingSSDid Not PlayUS ArmyKilled in Action


Ensign Gus Bebas - U.S. Navy
Killed in plane crash off Barber's Point, Hawaii on June 19, 1942


1st Lt. Keith Bissonnette - USAAF
Killed in a plane crash at Keng Tung, Burma on March 28, 1945


T/5 Chuck Bowers - U.S. Army
Died from wounds received at Aschersleben, Germany on April 15, 1945



PFC Ted Maillet - U.S. Army
Killed in action at Siegburg, Germany on April 7, 1945
PFC Jack Patterson - USMC
Killed in an accident at Guadalcanal on November 2, 1944
Sgt. Earl Springer - U.S. Army
Killed in action at Nennig, Germany on January 25, 1945
Sgt. Gene Gabrych - U.S. Army
Killed in action at Foret de Mont Castre, France on July 5, 1944
S/Sgt. Mason Smith - USAAF
Killed in action at Saint-Dizier, France on November 4, 1944
1st/Lt. Jack Moller - USAAF
Killed in action near Gaile, New Guinea on August 8, 1943
2nd/Lt. Dom Malchiodi - USAAF
Killed in a plane crash at Oostburg, Holland on May 31, 1945
Aviation Cadet Fredric Swift - USAAF
Killed in plane crash near Blanco, Texas on April 23, 1944
S/Sgt. George Chandler - USAAF
Killed in a plane crash near Plain Dealing, Louisiana on September 20, 1942
Ensign Norman Smith - U.S. Navy
Killed in action off Savo Island on August 9, 1942
Captain Marshall Sneed - USAAF
Killed in action over the Bay of Gabes, Tunisia on February 22, 1943
S/Sgt. Connie Graff - U.S. Army
Killed in action at St. Lo, France on July 8, 1944

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You can contact me at gary@baseballinwartime.com
Posted by Gary Bedingfield at 6:08 PM
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