
NFL War Dead: 25 Gave Their Lives In Service To U.S.
By Ken Crippen
Executive director Pro Football Researchers' Association
As we spend Memorial Day weekend having picnics and barbeques, as we watch the parades, let’s not forget those who have served this country and have given the ultimate sacrifice.
Twenty-five NFL players, coaches or executives were killed in service to their country, 20 of them in World War II alone. More than 1,000 NFLers served in the military, almost all of them in World War II according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, including notables known to most current fans: Tom Landry, Marv Levy, Pete Rozelle, among many others.
Regardless of your opinions on wars fought on foreign lands, NFL players have given their lives for our country. Below, we pay tribute to these fallen heroes on Memorial Day.
WORLD WAR II (Player)
Player | Teams | Death Date | Circumstances |
Cpl. Nick Basca | 1941 Philadelphia Eagles | November 11, 1944 | Killed in France. |
Lt. Charlie Behan | 1942 Detroit Lions | May 18, 1945 | Killed in Okinawa. |
Maj. Keith Birlem | 1939 Chicago Cardinals, 1939 Washington Redskins | May 7, 1943 | Killed while trying to land a combat-damaged bomber in England. |
Lt. Al Blozis | 1942-1944 New York Giants | January 31, 1945 | Killed in Colmar, France. |
Lt. Chuck Braidwood | 1930 Portsmouth Spartans, 1931 Cleveland Indians, 1932 Chicago Cardinals, 1933 Cincinnati Reds | January 8, 1945 | Killed in South Pacific. |
Lt. Young Bussey | 1941 Chicago Bears | January 7, 1945 | Killed in Lingayen Gulf, Phillippines. |
Capt. Eddie Doyle | 1924 Frankford Yellowjackets, 1925 Pottsville Maroons | November 8, 1942 | Killed in Morocco. |
Lt. Col. Grassy Hinton | 1932 Staten Island Stapletons | December 10, 1944 | Killed in plane crash in East Indies. |
Capt. Smiley Johnson | 1940-1941 Green Bay Packers | February 26, 1945 | Killed on Iwo Jima. |
Lt. Eddie Kahn | 1935-1936 Boston Redskins, 1937 Washington Redskins | February 17, 1945 | Died from wounds suffered during Leyete (Phillippines) invasion. |
Sgt. Alex Ketzko | 1943 Detroit Lions | December 23, 1944 | Killed in France. |
Capt. Lee Kizzire | 1937 Detroit Lions | December 5, 1943 | Shot down near New Guinea. |
Lt. Jack Lummus | 1941 New York Giants | March 8, 1945 | Killed on Iwo Jima. |
Pvt. Jim Mooney | 1930 Newark Tornadoes, 1930-1931 Brooklyn Dodgers, 1933-1934 Cincinnati Reds, 1935 Chicago Cardinals | August 12, 1944 | Killed by sniper in France. |
Lt. Don Wemple | 1941 Brooklyn Dodgers | June 23, 1943 | Killed in a plane crash in India. |
Capt. Waddy Young | 1939-1940 Brooklyn Dodgers | January 9, 1945 | Killed in a plane crash in Tokyo, Japan. |
Bob Mackert appears on a few lists of player deaths. Those lists seem to confuse Bob Mackert with Roy Mackert. Roy played for the 1925 Rochester Jeffersons and served in the Army until 1918. Roy died February 12, 1942. Bob Mackert went missing in July 1944 and was later declared dead. Bob Mackert never played in the NFL.
Frank Maher appears on some lists as being killed during World War II. Frank died April 11, 1992 in Toledo, OH.
WORLD WAR II (Non-Combat)
Player | Teams | Death Date | Circumstances |
Capt. Bill McCaw | 1923 Racine Cardinals, 1926 Louisville Colonels | April 19, 1942 | Heart attack while broadcasting at a radio station in Bloomington, IN. |
Chief Spc. Gus Sonnenberg | 1923 Columbus Panhandles, 1923 Buffalo All-Americans, 1925-1926 Detroit Panthers, 1927-1928, 1930 Providence Steamroller | September 13, 1944 | Died of leukemia at Bethesda Naval Hospital. |
Lt. Len Supulski | 1942 Philadelphia Eagles | August 31, 1943 | Killed in a plane crash near Kearney, Nebraska. |
Lt. Chet Wetterlund | 1942 Detroit Lions | September 5, 1944 | Killed in a plane crash off New Jersey coast. |
WORLD WAR II (Non-Player)
Person | Teams | Death Date | Circumstances |
Lt. Jack Chevigny | 1932 Chicago Cardinals (Head Coach) | February 19, 1945 | Killed on Iwo Jima. |
Lt. John O’Keefe | PhiladelphiaEagles (Front Office) | - | Killed while flying a patrol mission in Panama Canal Zone. |
KOREA
None
VIETNAM
Player | Teams | Death Date | Circumstances |
Lt. Bob Kalsu | 1968 Buffalo Bills | July 21, 1970 | Killed at Base Ripcord. |
Maj. Don Steinbrunner | 1953 Cleveland Browns | July 20, 1967 | Shot down over Kontum, South Vietnam |
AFGHANISTAN
Player | Teams | Death Date | Circumstances |
Cpl. Pat Tillman | 1998-2001 Arizona Cardinals | April 22, 2004 | Friendly fire. |
Ken Crippen is the executive director of the Professional Football Researchers Association, a non-profit educational organization dedicated to preserving football history. You can follow him on Twitter: @KenCrippen.
- Play Fantasy Football in Seconds with Fantasy Spin Quick Pick
- Panthers Better Than Falcons in 17 of 22 Quality Stats
- Steelers-Seahawks tight statistical showdown
- Patriots, Panthers Have Each Faced Just 1 Quality Opponent
- New England Heads to Denver Dominant in Quality Stats Battle
- Cardinals, Patriots Top 2 in Mother of All Stats, Passer Rating Differential
- Super Bowl XLIX Prop Bets: Full List
- Super Bowl 49 Game Capsule: Patriots @ Seahawks
- Awesome: Must-see Super Bowl Hall of Shame Infographic
- Referee Bill Vinovich Gets The Nod For Super Bowl 49 -- Balls