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Baseball in the Armed Forces


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Attached are a few pix of my dad in 1950. At that time, he had just made 1st Lt, w/the 16th Inf, 1st Inf Div in Furth, Germany. He served as an infantry PSG w/ I Co, 409th Inf Regt, 103d ID in WWII. After WWII, he served w/the 351st Inf in Trieste, Italy and then graduated from OCS in 1949. In a deal straight out of "From Here To Eternity", the Regimental CO offered him a branch transfer to Armor and platoon leader of a tank platoon in Tank Co, 16th Infantry if my dad would play baseball on the 16th team. The first pic shows my dad in his M-26 at Graf (note 103d Inf Div HM patch on his right shoulder. The other 2 pix show him in his 16th Inf baseball uniform, at Soldiers' Field, c 1951. That simple decision to play ball, led to a very long career in which he retired from JCS as an O-6 in 1970. Ain't life strange?

That uniform is fantastic! I'm betting that he didn't get to bring that home.

 

Thanks for sharing these photos!

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I'm a die-hard Orioles fan and any team that beats the Yankees and Red Sox. With that said I have these two baseballs in my collection. One is a baseball that was given to a Colonel Chapman by the Regimental Baseball Team in 1954. It is an Official Coast League Baseball and it is signed by the team. Unfortunately there is no reference to what regiment it happens to be or location. The second baseball is pretty interesting. It is an official Ford Frick National League Baseball with USN also printed on it. As you can see the ball was hit by Lee Handley in a game played between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the team from Bainbridge Naval Training Center in August of 1945. Handley was a MLB infielder from 1936 until 1947 with the Reds Pirates and Phillies. The game ended in a 3-3 tie and the ball was sent home to the father of one of the Navy players. It was sent to him in the Barbosol box that I have shown. I at first thought that it was a promotional baseball from Barbosal but it must have contained a shaving mug at one time and it just happened it was the same size as a baseball box the ball fit perfectly inside. I also have a few photos of baseball games being played during the war but they are deep in the pile somewhere.

 

While looking over this interesting topic I remembered when I was stationed down at Ft. Stewart that I had taken a trip out to Tybee Island. While on the trip I had stopped at a Civil War fort on the way. I only mention this because I remembered that there was a sign at the fort that stated that the earliest known photo of a baseball game was taken at the fort, the photo was also on the sign. I honestly did not remember the name of the fort but with a little bit of research I found the place and also the photo. The photo was taken on the parade ground in Fort Pulaski sometime in 1862 after the Union Troops seized control of the fort. The game is being played by a Union Regiment from New York. With the research I did it stated that the photo is one of the earliest known of a baseball game. I thought it was kind of fitting that one of the earliest baseball photos is also military related. I also cannot help myself but if the New York regiment was playing against a regiment from any other state, or even CSA POW's, I hope they lost. The photo is from the National Park Services Fort Pulaski web site.

image(16).jpg image(17).jpg

Fantastic balls and history. The Frick National League ball is from 1943.

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11th Field Artillery belt buckle - Hawaiian Division Baseball Champions 1935

 

Would you have photos of the back of this buckle - any maker's marks?

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Salvage Sailor

It's posted on the Belt Buckle topic, and here's another example that Hink has

 

USS LEXINGTON  No maker's mark on the back side. There is only a U.S. Patent date of 1923 on the reverse.

 

11TH FIELD ARTILLERY 

Hawaiian Division (Baseball) Champions

1935
Schofield Barracks Hawaii
11th F(ield) A(rtillery)
R.J.Bullard
 
1607255354_11thFAHawaiianDivisionBaseballChampions1935002.jpg.2129b29a0d9ea109ae849fd089000ed8.jpg
 
Myers & Myers
Jewelers
Kansas City, MO
 
1927108305_myersandmyersbeltbuckle.jpg.3539dfac1d99c7762ac6e1fb7105b49a.jpg
 
1137868666_11thFAHawaiianDivisionBaseballChampions1935001.jpg.1de28797fe63f98a0d12934752534a84.jpg

 

 

 

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Thank you for providing that. It looked similar to one I just landed (now shared on that thread) with some of the Art Deco design elements, though that's where the similarities end.

It's posted on the Belt Buckle topic, and here's another example that Hink has

 

USS LEXINGTON http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/248273-post-your-buckles-with-or-without-the-belt/?p=1983427

 

11TH FIELD ARTILLERY http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/248273-post-your-buckles-with-or-without-the-belt/?p=1985810

 

 

 

Hawaiian Division (Baseball) Champions
1935
Schofield Barracks Hawaii
11th F(ield) A(rtillery)
R.J.Bullard
Myers & Myers
Jewelers
Kansas City, MO

 

 

 

 

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  • 7 months later...
Buffalo Grunt

32nd Infantry Regiment Baseball Team - Circa 1946 - Korean Occupation (Hand Painted Jerseys)

 

post-3866-0-80199500-1543508480_thumb.jpg

 

These pictures were taken in 1946 during the Korean Occupation - 31st Infantry Field .. This game features the 32nd Infantry playing the 7th Infantry Division Maintenance Team.

 

post-3866-0-78452800-1543508609_thumb.jpg

 

These pictures were taken in 1946 during the Korean Occupation - 31st Infantry Field .. This game features the 32nd Infantry playing the 7th Infantry Division Maintenance Team.

 

 

post-3866-0-32847200-1543508733_thumb.jpg

 

 

These pictures were taken in 1946 during the Korean Occupation - 31st Infantry Field .. This game features the 32nd Infantry playing the 7th Infantry Division Maintenance Team.

 

post-3866-0-69247400-1543508779_thumb.jpg

 

These pictures were taken in 1946 during the Korean Occupation - 31st Infantry Field .. This game features the 32nd Infantry playing the 7th Infantry Division Maintenance Team.

 

post-3866-0-88170800-1543508809_thumb.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

From my Pineapple Army collection

11th Field Artillery DRAGONS Hawaiian Division

1937 Season schedule at home, Sargent Field, Schofield Barracks, T.H.

 

11th FA Baseball 1937 001.jpg

 

11th FA Baseball 1937 002.jpg

 

11th FA Baseball 1937 003.jpg

 

From my Pineapple Army collection

 

11th Field Artillery DRAGONS vs.18th Pursuit Group, Hawaiian Division July 11th, 1937 at Stribling Field, Schofield Barracks, T.H.

 

11th FA Baseball July 11 1937 001.jpg

 

11th FA Baseball July 11 1937 002.jpg

 

11th FA Baseball July 11 1937 003.jpg

 

11th FA Baseball July 11 1937 004.jpg

 

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Believe this is the 10th Infantry Baseball Team Ft Thomas Kentucky circa 1930.

 

post-34986-0-52587600-1543633340_thumb.jpgpost-34986-0-83172400-1543633361_thumb.jpg

 

The 9th Cavalry Baseball Team DA Russell Wyoming 1922.

 

post-34986-0-64975700-1543633484_thumb.jpg

 

 

 

And this from the Great War, the 317th Engineer Regiment, 92nd Division Baseball Team Cp Sherman Ohio 1918.

 

post-34986-0-28046200-1543633667.jpg

 

 

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As our museum has been progressing over the past few years, I saw that sports were a major part of Camp Butner (I know that was pretty much the case everywhere). In 1943, the 78th Infantry Division held a divisional tournament with teams from the different regiments. I hope someday the museum will find one of their jerseys!

 

In 1944 and 1945, the camp itself had it's own team that had some MLB players on the team and even had the great Wake Forest basketball coach "Bones" McKinney playing for them. A few years ago we found a small newspaper clipping lot on eBay that had a nice signal corps photo where the Camp Butner Jersey can clearly be seen. I wanted to get a repro jersey made but they sadly had a minimum order quantity.

 

Mike

post-3373-0-45761100-1543806492.jpeg

 

The signal corps photo was used for this article

post-3373-0-80067700-1543806932.jpeg

 

Bones is the tall one in the back row.

post-3373-0-80165600-1543806972_thumb.jpeg

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These pictures were taken in 1946 during the Korean Occupation - 31st Infantry Field .. This game features the 32nd Infantry playing the 7th Infantry Division Maintenance Team.

 

attachicon.gif 002c.jpg

These are fantastic photos...and in color, no less!

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US NAVAL HOSPITAL AIEA HEIGHTS (No. 10), Oahu, Territory of Hawaii 1944

I have a scorecard from the Aiea NH vs the 7th AAF from 1944.

 

What publication is this page from?

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As our museum has been progressing over the past few years, I saw that sports were a major part of Camp Butner (I know that was pretty much the case everywhere). In 1943, the 78th Infantry Division held a divisional tournament with teams from the different regiments. I hope someday the museum will find one of their jerseys!

 

In 1944 and 1945, the camp itself had it's own team that had some MLB players on the team and even had the great Wake Forest basketball coach "Bones" McKinney playing for them. A few years ago we found a small newspaper clipping lot on eBay that had a nice signal corps photo where the Camp Butner Jersey can clearly be seen. I wanted to get a repro jersey made but they sadly had a minimum order quantity.

 

Mike

If I see one, I will reach out to you. I've been watching for jerseys for years and so few surface.

 

Ebbets Field Flannels has no minimum requirement. They just reproduced a 29th ID jersey from a photo in my archive for the retiring head researcher of the 29th ID Museum.

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Salvage Sailor

I have a scorecard from the Aiea NH vs the 7th AAF from 1944.

 

What publication is this page from?

 

US Naval Hospital Aiea Heights, T.H. 1944 Photos & Roster http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/320026-us-naval-hospital-aiea-heights-th-1944-photos-roster/

 

Top of page 23

US Naval Hospital No. 10 Aiea Heights 1944 001.jpg

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Here is one of my programs from the Navy All Star Championship Series (American versus National League players serving in the Navy), September-October, 1945.

 

post-9529-0-39098200-1543861787_thumb.jpg

 

...or how about this scorecard from the 1944 Central Pacific League game between the Aiea Naval Hospital and the 7th AAF?

 

post-9529-0-89280200-1543865277_thumb.jpg

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  • 4 weeks later...

Joe DiMaggio in 1943

Famous photo. I'm wondering what they used as a basis for coloring the image. It is hard to determine shades and colors from black and white images. Even Ebbets Field Flannels had an issue with this in their 7th AAF jersey. They deemed the shell was black when in reality it was a dark shade of green (Charlie Silvera described them in a letter to my friend) as they were "borrowed" from a base softball team upon the assembling of the 7th squad.

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  • 1 month later...
Salvage Sailor
On 3/7/2016 at 11:43 AM, Salvage Sailor said:

Baseball he says......

 

L Troop, 4th US Cavalry Schofield Barracks, Territory of Hawaii 1915

 

Nice jersey you've posted, wish I had the checkered ballcap in this photo

 

Another one from the 4th US Cavalry, this time 1913, Schofield Barracks, T.H.

4th Cavalry Baseball Team 1913 003.jpg

 

1st US Infantry Regiment Baseball Team 1912 Schofield Barracks, T.H.

 

1st Infantry Baseball Team 1912 Schofield Barracks 001 wm.jpg

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Another one from the 4th US Cavalry, this time 1913, Schofield Barracks, T.H.

 

 

I love these two photos! If you have high resolutions scans, I'd be happy to work on them and bring out the images in greater detail.

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