Buzz
Contemporary professional athletes are frequently criticized for being overcompensated and self-centered, with recent sports news dominated by controversies such as domestic violence and doping scandals. However, these individuals do not represent the majority. Numerous exceptional athletes have paused their careers and risked their lives to serve in the military during wartime.
10. Louis Zamperini
Zamperini, an Olympic runner who participated in the 1936 Berlin Games, later served in World War II. After his plane crashed in the Pacific Ocean, he was declared missing and presumed dead by the War Department, with President Franklin Delano Roosevelt sending a condolence letter. In truth, Zamperini endured 47 days adrift at sea on a raft before being captured and held as a prisoner of war by Japanese forces.
After enduring the harsh conditions of the Pacific by gathering rainwater and occasionally catching albatrosses, Zamperini faced brutal torture from Mutsuhiro Watanabe, a Japanese sergeant known as “The Bird.” His unyielding resilience was perhaps hinted at during his Olympic performance, where he completed his final lap in the 5,000 meters in just 56 seconds as he raced to overtake his competitors.
His extraordinary journey was captured in the book Unbroken, which was later turned into a full-length film directed by Angelina Jolie.
9. Warren Spahn
Spahn formed half of the legendary pitching pair that inspired Gerald V. Herm’s poem, later condensed to the phrase, “Spahn and Sain and Pray for Rain.” A Baseball Hall of Famer, he holds the record for the most wins by a left-handed pitcher and ranks sixth overall with 363 victories. Before embarking on a baseball career that included 17 All-Star Game appearances, two no-hitters, and a Cy Young Award, Spahn served in the Army starting in 1942.
Spahn experienced extensive combat, serving in a unit that included convicts who were released early from their sentences in exchange for military service. He participated in both the Battle of the Bulge and the Battle of Hurtgen Forest. Reflecting on the latter, Spahn remarked, “We were encircled in the Hurtgen Forest and had to battle our way out. Our feet remained frozen both when we slept and when we woke. For weeks, we went without bathing or changing clothes.”
Spahn’s unit gained recognition for capturing and holding the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen, the sole Rhine River bridge secured by Allied Forces. Alongside the Distinguished Unit Emblem, Spahn was awarded a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart.
Some baseball experts speculate that his military service might have cost him the chance to achieve 400 wins. However, Spahn believed the war was crucial in shaping his career, stating, “Those years matured me significantly. Without that growth, I wouldn’t have pitched until I was 45 . . . After enduring the hardships overseas, nothing in baseball ever felt like hard work. You lose that mindset after spending days sleeping in frozen tank tracks in hostile territory.”
8. Bob Kalsu
When you gaze at the Ring of Honor in Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York, you’ll notice the name of a Buffalo Bills legend who never played beyond his rookie NFL season. Bob Kalsu, at a time when many professional athletes avoided the Vietnam War due to their fame, chose to enlist and was deployed to one of the most perilous combat zones. Stationed at Firebase Ripcord, Kalsu took command of his unit after his superior was evacuated to remove shrapnel from his neck.
The North Vietnamese Army relentlessly targeted Kalsu and his men at Ripcord, with the firebase enduring up to 600 rounds daily, especially during supply helicopter landings. Despite his rank, Kalsu braved the intense fire to help his soldiers transport newly arrived ammunition to their hilltop position.
Philip Michaud, who served alongside Kalsu at Ripcord, described him as “fearless, intelligent, courageous, and deeply respected by his troops.” Regarding the frequent enemy attacks, Michaud recalled, “Shells were exploding everywhere, yet he remained out in the open. I warned him, ‘It’s great to demonstrate leadership, but when rounds are hitting nearby, you should take cover behind a gun wheel or bunker.’ ”
The most tragic aspect of Kalsu’s story involves his family. After he was killed by enemy mortar fire, an Army officer was sent to inform his wife. She wasn’t home, so the officer went to a local hospital, where he broke the news to Jan Kalsu shortly after she had given birth to their second child, a son.
7. Archie Williams
Similar to gold medalist Jesse Owens, Archie Williams disrupted Adolf Hitler’s notion of Aryan supremacy with his achievements at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. While the tale of Hitler refusing to shake Owens’s hand is widely known (in truth, he shook no athlete’s hand after the opening ceremonies, regardless of race), Williams also felt slighted. When questioned about his interaction with the German leader, Williams stated, “Hitler wouldn’t shake my hand either!” Williams participated in the 400 meters, an event where he had established the world record of 46.1 seconds earlier that year while representing UC-Berkeley at the NCAA Championships.
A hamstring injury prematurely ended Williams’s athletic career, prompting him to earn his pilot’s license and work as a commercial aviator. He later served as a pilot in World War II and was commissioned into the Air Force in 1943. Williams contributed as a flight instructor with the Tuskegee Airmen and remained in military service for over two decades.
6. Dwight F. Davis
The Davis Cup, a storied tennis tradition, originated in 1900 when Dwight F. Davis and his Harvard tennis teammates sought to organize a match between the United States and Great Britain. While the annual tournament stands as Davis’s enduring legacy, he was also honored with the Distinguished Service Cross for “exceptional bravery in action near Baulny and Chaudron Farm, France, on September 29–30, 1918.”
Davis’s commendation highlights his remarkable actions during combat. “After enduring three days of intense shelling and machine gun fire, during which he demonstrated exceptional courage and dedication, Major Davis, then adjutant of the 69th Infantry Brigade, voluntarily ventured into his brigade’s sector under heavy enemy fire. He assisted in reorganizing positions and replacing units, all while remaining exposed to relentless enemy attacks.
“On September 28, 1918, upon learning of a fierce enemy counterattack on Baulny ridge, he spontaneously gathered available personnel and led them to reinforce the embattled front lines. His calm and courageous demeanor inspired the troops during this critical moment, enabling them to withstand overwhelming enemy forces.”
Davis later served as Secretary of War under President Calvin Coolidge and as Governor General of the Philippines. He is interred at Arlington National Cemetery.
5. Charley Paddock
Those familiar with the film Chariots of Fire will recall Charley Paddock as the confident American sprinter who decisively defeated Harold Abrahams in the 200 meters, securing a silver medal at the 1924 Olympics. In truth, Paddock also claimed gold in the 100 meters and the 4×100 meter relay, as well as another silver in the 200 meters during the 1920 Olympics. Throughout his career, he set world records in multiple events, earning the title of the “World’s Fastest Human.”
Paddock’s Olympic achievements were framed by his service in both World War I and World War II. As a Marine Corps officer, he served as a field artillery lieutenant in World War I and later joined the personal staff of Major General William P. Upshur during World War II. Tragically, both Paddock and Upshur perished in a plane crash while on active duty in World War II.
4. Ted Williams
Teddy Ballgame is celebrated by baseball enthusiasts as one of the sport’s greatest hitters. Over his career, Williams maintained a .344 batting average and hit 521 home runs. These statistics are even more remarkable considering he lost several prime years of his career while serving in the Navy during both World War II and the Korean War.
During World War II, he served as a flight instructor. In the Korean War, he faced enemy fire, sustaining multiple hits and even crash-landing during a mission. Throughout his military service, Williams was awarded three Air Medals for Aerial Flight Operations, a Navy Unit Commendation, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
While in Korea, Williams flew as a wingman to another legendary figure: John Glenn. The two shared mutual admiration. Glenn once remarked, “He was outstanding. The same qualities that made him the greatest baseball hitter—his sharp eye, coordination, and discipline—helped him become an exceptional combat pilot.”
3. Chuck Bednarik
Concrete Charlie is revered by fans who cherish the era of tough, relentless football players who refused to leave the field, a reputation he built with the Eagles. Unlike today’s specialized athletes, Bednarik excelled on offense, defense, and special teams before the term ‘special teams’ even existed. As his Hall of Fame plaque in Canton, Ohio, states, Bednarik was a “bone-crushing tackler” and a “tenacious, durable, and powerful blocker.”
If anything toughened Concrete Charlie, it was likely his World War II service. As a member of the Army Air Corps, Bednarik enlisted as a teenage aerial gunner, completing 30 combat missions over Germany.
Bednarik considered one of his most perilous missions to be a simple delivery. Tasked with transporting gasoline 16 kilometers (10 miles) behind enemy lines to refuel 500 of General Patton’s tanks, he recalled, “Our plane carried no bombs—just thousands of gallons of gasoline. Imagine taking off or landing with that volatile cargo. A crash would have reduced us to dust. That mission terrified us. We landed, hearing the boom, boom, boom of nearby combat, unloaded the fuel, and fled as quickly as possible.”
For his bravery, Bednarik received the Air Medal, four Oak Leaf Clusters, four Battle Stars, and the European Theater Operations Medal.
2. Chad Hennings
A Dallas Cowboys player who served during wartime, Hennings earned the Outland Trophy in college before joining the Cowboys, where he contributed to three Super Bowl victories over nine seasons. A graduate of the Air Force Academy, Hennings was drafted by Dallas in 1988 but had to complete four years of military service before starting his professional football career.
During his service in the Persian Gulf, Hennings flew 45 missions over Iraq as part of Operation Provide Comfort. He was awarded two Air Force Achievement Medals, an Outstanding Unit Award, and a humanitarian award. The operation focused on providing aid to Kurds in Northern Iraq while eliminating remaining Iraqi threats in the region.
After his deployment in the Persian Gulf, Hennings returned to professional football but continued his commitment to the Air Force. He remained a member of the Air Force Reserve throughout his entire nine-year NFL career.
1. Roy Gleason
At just 20 years old, Gleason reached the major leagues, joining the Los Angeles Dodgers late in the 1963 season. Although his time was brief, he secured a hit in his only at-bat and appeared in seven additional games as a pinch runner. That year, the Dodgers won the World Series, earning Gleason a championship ring for being on the active roster.
Gleason returned to the minors, unable to break into a Dodgers lineup filled with legends. In 1967, he was deployed to Vietnam, serving as a sergeant. During a patrol, his unit was ambushed by the North Vietnamese Army, and Gleason sustained shrapnel wounds that severely injured his arm and leg. Despite his injuries, he continued to fight, returning fire until he was evacuated by helicopter.
Among the items lost during his hurried evacuation was Gleason’s 1963 World Series Ring. In 2003, the Dodgers presented him with a replacement ring during a ceremony at Dodger Stadium. Gleason also received a Purple Heart and Special Congressional Recognition for his service.
