Immortality and Honor: College Hoopdom's Contributions to Memorial Day
May 27th, 2012 - 21:51
At times, we freely recall the full spectrum of players ranging from knuckleheads to knuckle-down heads of corporations. A Memorial Day weekend generates sobering reminders of what is really important to our freedom. College basketball contributions include the following individuals:
Baylor had some "soft" players this past season who played with the fervor of a man holding his female companion's purse at the mall much of a shopping excursion afternoon. But Baylor is believed to be the only non- service academy in America to have two former athletes go on to win the Congressional Medal of Honor. Both men, Jack Lummus and John "Killer" Kane, earned the nation's highest military honor for heroics in World War II Lummus played football, basketball and baseball for the Bears from 1938 through 1941. He was an All-Southwest Conference center fielder before signing with the NFL's New York Giants.
After one year of pro football, Lummus joined the U.S. Marines and was a platoon leader in the initial days of fighting on Iwo Jima. While leading a charge on enemy positions, Lummus stepped on a land mine and lost both legs. Despite heavy bleeding, he led his platoon to knock out several pockets of Japanese fire, a vital part of the U.S. victory. Alas, Lummus died of his wounds shortly after the battle.
Kane, who also played football and basketball, was one of the survivors on Baylor's ill-fated 1927 basketball squad that lost 10 of its 21-member traveling party in a bus-train wreck en route to Austin, Tex. As a result of the "Immortal Ten" tragedy, the remainder of the first of coach Ralph Wolf's 15 seasons was cancelled, and the first highway overpass in Texas was constructed.
Kane joined the Army Air Corps in 1932 and soon became a bomber commander of legendary proportions. It was said he was the best pilot and toughest commander in the Air Corps. It was often debated who feared him more - the Germans or his own men.
On August 1, 1943, Kane led what at the time was the deadliest air battle in history - a low-level, long-range bombing raid on Hitler's oil-refining complex in Rumania. The site produced a major portion of the Axis' fuel and was one of the most heavily-guarded locations in history.
The heroism exhibited by ex-hoopsters doesn't stop there. Al Brown, Creighton's leading scorer in 1925-26, survived the infamous Bataan Death March in the Philippines. Ex-players warranting salutes for making the supreme sacrifice include:
Center Bill Menke, the third-leading scorer for Indiana's 1940 NCAA champion who supplied a team-high 10 points in the Hoosiers' national semifinal victory over Duquesne, later became a Navy pilot and served in World War II. In January 1945, he was declared missing in action (and presumed dead) when he didn't return from a flight in the Caribbean.
Thomas P. Hunter, a three-year letterman who was a sophomore member of Kansas' 1940 runner-up, was killed in action against the Japanese on Guam, July 21, 1944, while fighting with the Ninth Marines as a first lieutenant. Hunter was elected posthumously as captain of the Jayhawks' 1945-46 squad that compiled a 19-2 record.
All 11 regulars on Pittsburgh's 1941 Final Four team participated in World War II and one of them, guard Bob Artman, was killed in action.
Nile Kinnick, Iowa's Heisman Trophy winner as a quarterback-halfback in 1939, played basketball for the Hawkeyes during his sophomore year, averaging 6.1 ppg to finish as their second-leading scorer. After bypassing pro football to attend law school, he was killed in a plane crash in 1943 while serving in the Navy.
Curtis Popham, Texas' co-captain in 1943, was killed during WWII.
Carleton (MN) forward Wayne Sparks, a "Little All-American" in 1936-37, died in a bomber crash during WWII.
Four-time All-MCAU forward Eugene "Peaches" Westover, class of '38 for Drury (MO), was killed January 1, 1945, at the Battle of the Bulge.
Four-sport letterman Tommy Peters, who averaged 17.5 ppg to lead the southern Conference in scoring in 1942-43, died during WWII after only one season with Davidson.
Numerous standout players had their college playing careers sidetracked by WWII. Here is a list of All-Americans who had their college days interrupted in the mid-1940s while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces:
Air Force - Charles Black (Kansas) and Jack Parkinson (Kentucky).
Army - Don Barksdale (UCLA), Lew Beck (Oregon State), A.L. Bennett (Oklahoma A&M), Gale Bishop (Washington State), Vince Boryla (Notre Dame/Denver), Harry Boykoff (St. John's), Bob Brannum (Kentucky), Arnie Ferrin (Utah), Alex Groza (Kentucky), Ralph Hamilton (Indiana), Walt Kirk (Illinois), Allie Paine (Oklahoma), Don Rehfeldt (Wisconsin), Jack Smiley (Illinois), Odie Spears (Western Kentucky) and Gerry Tucker (Oklahoma).
Marine Corps - Aud Brindley (Dartmouth), John Hargis (Texas), Merlin Marty (Loras), Andy Phillip (Illinois), Gene Rock (southern California) and Kenny Sailors (Wyoming).
Navy - Bobby Cook (Wisconsin), Howie Dallmar (Stanford/Penn), Dick Dickey (North Carolina State), Bob Faught (Notre Dame), Harold Gensichen (Western Michigan), Wyndol Gray (Bowling Green State), Hal Haskins (Hamline), Leo Klier (Notre Dame), Dick McGuire (St. John's) and John Oldham (Western Kentucky).
In an incredible achievement, Phillip and Tucker returned to first-team All-American status in 1946-47 after missing three seasons while serving in the military. Black and Sailors also returned to All-American acclaim after missing two seasons. Meanwhile, Whitey Skoog served in the U.S. Navy before becoming a three-time All- American with Minnesota.
Fallen heroes also emerged post-WWII. Don Holleder, who averaged 9.3 ppg as a junior and 6.8 ppg as a senior for Army in the mid-1950s, was a major during the Vietnam War in October, 1967, when he was killed by a sniper's bullet in an ambush 40 miles from Saigon as he hurled himself into enemy fire attempting to rescue wounded comrades.
Among the military leaders over the years with a hoop background include:
ROBERT B. ADAMS, Canisius
Served in the U.S. Army for 31 years, retiring with the rank of Major General, before he was appointed
Commissioner of the New York State Office of General Services by Governor Mario Cuomo. Listed in Who's Who in
America and Who's Who of American Business Leaders. Third-leading scorer (9.2 points per game) as a senior for Canisius' first NCAA Tournament team in 1955.
MERT BAXTER, Nevada
Army General was in charge of San Francisco Presidio. He had a distinguished military career in Korea, Vietnam
and Germany. Baxter was a four-year letterman (1950-53) who led the Wolf Pack in scoring as a sophomore and
junior.
MAJ. GEN. ROBERT BROWN, Army
Assumed command of the U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning (GA) in early November 2010. The 6-5 Brown averaged 13.8 ppg for Army from 1977-78 through 1980-81, leading the Cadets in scoring as a junior
(16.4 ppg) and senior (19 ppg) under coach Mike Krzyzewski.
JOHN DICK, Oregon
Retired with the rank of Admiral after 32 years of service in the U.S. Navy. Commanded the aircraft carrier
Saratoga for two years and served as chief of staff for all carrier forces in the Western Pacific. Starting
junior forward for the first NCAA Tournament champion in 1939 when he led the Ducks in scoring in three playoff
games, including a game-high 15 points in the final against Ohio State. NCAA consensus first-team All-American
the next season when he paced the Pacific Coast Conference Northern Division in scoring with 183 points in 16
games.
THOMAS J. HAMILTON, Navy
Rear admiral was executive officer of the famous carrier Enterprise and then commanded the escort carrier Savo
Island at the end of World War II. Three-year letterman was senior captain of Navy's 15-2 basketball team in
1926-27. Also competed for the academy's undefeated national championship football squad in 1926, kicking the
game-tying point that gave Navy a 21-21 come-from-behind tie with Army before the largest crowd ever to watch a football game (110,000 at Soldier's Field in Chicago). Named the 88th most influential student-athlete in 2006 when the NCAA celebrated its centennial anniversary.
BRUCE HARRIS, Tennessee Tech
Four-star general in the U.S. Army. Averaged 6.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game for the Golden Eagles as a
senior in 1954-55.
HARRY HILL, Navy
In September, 1943, during World War II in the South Pacific theater, he became Commander Amphibious Group Two,
and in that capacity participated in the capture of Tarawa, and later in operations against the Gilberts,
Marshalls, Marianas, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. He relieved the Commander Fifth Amphibious Force at Okinawa in April
1945, and commanded the support operations of that force until that island was secured at the end of June. A
destroyer named after the admiral was decommissioned in May, 1998. Navy's first All-American (first-team
selection by the Helms Foundation in 1911 when team went 10-1).
GEN. JIM JONES, Georgetown
Four-star general was designated in mid-August 1999 to serve as the Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps. His
military decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, and
the Bronze Star, among others. The 6-4 reserve frontcourter collected four points and six rebounds in five games
for the Hoyas in 1963-64.
WILLIAM P. LAWRENCE, Navy
Vice Admiral was awarded the Silver Star and Distinguished Service Medal. In 1958, he became the first naval
aviator to fly twice the speed of sound in a Navy aircraft (the F8U-3 Crusader III). While Commanding Officer of
Fighter Squadron 143, he was shot down over North Vietnam in June 1967 and held as a POW until March 1973. During
his imprisonment, Lawrence composed a poem entitled "Oh Tennessee, My Tennessee," which was designated by the
state legislature as the official poem of the State of Tennessee. Basketball letterman at the naval academy in
1948-49 when he averaged 2.9 ppg.
DICK LINTHICUM, UCLA
After eight years in the movie industry, he served 10 years in the U.S. Navy throughout the Pacific, then 16
years with the Central Intelligence Agency before retiring as USNR Commander. He was awarded the CIA Certificate
of Merit as he ended his distinguished career of serving his country in many parts of the world. A 1931 and 1932
All-American, the first in any sport at UCLA, Linthicum was Bruins captain in 1932 and leader in Southern
Division scoring in the Pacific Coast Conference over a three-year period. The forward was twice All-Southern Division forward and once All-PCC.
MIKE McRANEY, Mississippi State
Served as chief of information at the Pentagon before retiring from the U.S. Air Force as a brigadier general. He
lettered in basketball as a sophomore and junior (1956-57 and 1957-58), averaging 1.2 points per game in his three-year varsity career.
ADMIRAL MIKE MULLEN, Navy
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Obama Administration. In controversial battles within the
Pentagon, Mullen was an activist taking unprecedented stands on matters of military doctrine - emphasizing troops
over weapons systems and counterinsurgency over the use of overwhelming force. Played basketball for the plebes
in 1964-65 but never competed at the varsity level.
Generally speaking, following is an alphabetical list of Air Force basketball players who went on to make the rank of general:
USAF Player (Graduation Year) Rank as General Bob Beckel (1959) Lieutenant General Anthony Burshnick (1960) Lieutenant General Howell M. Estes III (1965) General Ellwood P. Hinman III (1964) Brigadier General Charles R. Holland (1968) Lieutenant General Michael D. Pavich (1964) Major General James P. Ulm (1961) Brigadier General Henry Viccellio (1962) General Key: Brigadier General (1 star); Major General (2 stars); Lieutenant General (3 stars); General (4 stars)