Baseball in Wartime - Bob Hershey

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Those Who Died That Others Might Be Free

Purple Heart Bob Hershey

Date and Place of Birth: circa 1915 Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania
Date and Place of Death: July 31, 1943 Pacific
Baseball Experience: Minor League
Position: First Base
Rank: Lieutenant (jg)
Military Unit: US Navy
Area Served: Pacific Theater of Operations

Robert K "Bob" Hershey was born in Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania in 1915. He attended Bucknell University in 1936 and was graduated from the University of Pittsburgh before signing with the Cleveland Indians organization. The left-handed hitting first baseman batted .313 in his rookie season with Logan in the Mountain State League in 1938. The following year - 1939 - he hit .308 with 28 doubles and 14 home runs for Springfield of the Middle Atlantic League. In 1940 and 1941, Hershey was with the Cedar Rapids Raiders of the Three-I League. He batted .318 and .313 respectively, and had 100 RBIs in 1941.

Hershey, who was in with a chance of becoming Cleveland's next first baseman, enlisted in the Navy in September 1941. He received his wings in August 1942. Lieutenant (jg) Hershey served in the Pacific and was killed in action while flying a patrol bomber that was engaging a Japanese submarine.

Added October 23, 2006. Updated September 17, 2008.

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