11 Athletes Who Became Real American Heroes For Their Military Service

11 Athletes Who Became Real American Heroes For Their Military Service
Ted Williams flashes the pilot's traditional thumb-up sign of okay to his mechanic while taking his attack aviation refresher training in a Corsair Fighter plane at Cherry Point, NC, September 4, 1952. (AP Photo)
Ted Williams flashes the pilot's traditional thumb-up sign of okay to his mechanic while taking his attack aviation refresher training in a Corsair Fighter plane at Cherry Point, NC, September 4, 1952. (AP Photo)

True heroism is not measured in touchdowns. Profound courage is not displayed by limping into Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Real sacrifice isn't something that advances a runner in a baseball game. But that doesn't mean that real heroes have not graced the World Series or been cheered in arenas and stadiums across the United States.

From Hall of Fame baseball legends like Ted Williams and Bob Feller to former NFL player Pat Tillman, there have been dozens of standout American athletes who left behind adoring crowds and traded in uniforms meant for games for ones that meant something much more.

"Combat is an experience that you never forget. A war teaches you that baseball is only a game, after all -- a minor thing, compared to the sovereignty and security of the United States," Feller later wrote for Military.com: "I once told a newspaper reporter that the bombing attack we lived through on the Alabama had been the most exciting 13 hours of my life. After that, I said, the pinstriped perils of Yankee Stadium seemed trivial."

Here are 11 of the many athletes who risked -- and, in some cases, lost -- their lives to join the U.S. armed forces and serve their country.

Pat Tillman
ASSOCIATED PRESS
A standout college football player at Arizona State, Tillman was drafted into the NFL in 1998. After spending four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, Tillman walked away from the NFL to enlist in the U.S. Army in 2002 after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. An Army Ranger, he was killed in a friendly-fire incident in Afghanistan in 2004. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart.
Ted Williams
FPG via Getty Images
Regarded by many as the greatest hitter of all time, Williams twice interrupted his Hall of Fame career with the Boston Red Sox to serve his country. He missed the 1943-45 seasons after enlisting in the Navy reserves in May 1942. His high marks during training as an aviator earned him a commission in the Marine Corps, according to Military.com. Williams resumed his MLB career in 1946, but returned to active duty in 1952, flying with the first Marine Air Wing during the Korean War. He flew 39 ground-attack combat missions.
Bob Kalsu
ASSOCIATED PRESS
A standout offensive lineman at Oklahoma, Kalsu was drafted into the NFL by the Buffalo Bills in 1968. After his rookie season, he left the Bills for the Army. Having completed the ROTC program at Oklahoma, he had graduated with a commitment to service. Unlike many other professional athletes, Kalsu didn't use his stature to avoid active duty, according to Grantland. He would become the only active NFL player killed while serving in Vietnam, dying on July 21, 1970 at age 25.
Tim James
ASSOCIATED PRESS
A first-round NBA Draft pick by the Miami Heat in 1999, James spent three seasons with the Heat, Charlotte Hornets and Philadelphia 76ers. After a few stints playing basketball professionally overseas, he enlisted in the Army in 2008 at age 31, initially not telling his fellow soldiers about his hoops career. He then served in Iraq for 12 months as a member of the Observe, Detect, Identify and Neutralize unit.
Bob Feller
Kidwiler Collection via Getty Images
The first major leaguer to enlist in the military following the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Feller joined the Navy at age 23. He would be assigned to the USS Alabama as a gun-captain, seeing action in the North Altantic and Pacific during World War II. He missed three seasons.
Jerry Coleman
ASSOCIATED PRESS
A four-time World Series champion with the New York Yankees and participant in two wars, Coleman flew 120 combat missions in World War II and Korea combined as a Marine Corps pilot. He was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses, 13 Air Medals, along with three Navy citations. He was the only MLB player to serve in combat in both World War II and Korea, according to Military.com. Coleman would go on to become a legendary broadcaster for the San Diego Padres after his playing days were behind him.
Patty Berg
ASSOCIATED PRESS
A golf pioneer who would become the first president of the LPGA, Berg put her career on hold in 1942 and served three years in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. Upon returning to golf, she won the 1946 U.S. Women's Open, one of her record 15 women's major golf championships.
Jack Lummus
ASSOCIATED PRESS
After a standout athletic career at Baylor, Lummus played one season with the New York Giants. After a 1941 rookie campaign that culminated in a trip to the NFL Championship Game, Lummus joined the Marines. Among the first to land on Iwo Jima in Japan, he was mortally wounded by a land mine. The Texas native was posthumously awarded the Medal Of Honor.
Gil Hodges
Sports Studio Photos via Getty Images
Shortly after making his major league debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers on the last day of the 1943 season, Hodges enlisted in the Marine Corps. He would miss the full 1944 and '45 seasons while serving in the South Pacific during World War II. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his service at Okinawa, according to BaseballInWartime.com. After returning to the Dodgers for the 1947 season, Hodges would go on to be an eight-time All-Star as a player. As a manager, he would later lead the New York Mets to their "miracle" World Series championship in 1969.
Al Bumbry
Rich Pilling via Getty Images
After his first season playing for a Baltimore Orioles' minor league affiliate, Bumbry went to Vietnam in 1970, where he would lead an Army platoon and earn a Bronze Star. Upon returning to baseball, Bumbry would go on to be named the American League Rookie of the Year in 1973.
Christy Mathewson
Transcendental Graphics via Getty Images
Following a 17-season pitching career that would earn him a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame's inaugural class, Mathewson enlisted in the Army during World War I. At age 38, the famed right-handed pitcher headed to France with the Chemical Warfare Service . He would be accidentally exposed to mustard gas during a training exercise. Upon returning home, he would battle tuberculosis before his death in 1925.

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot