Baseball in Wartime

Baseball's Greatest Sacrifice

 

 

Negro Leaguers Who Served With The Armed Forces in WWII

 

 

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"If they can fight and die on Okinawa and Guadalcanal in the South Pacific, they can play baseball in America."
Baseball Commissioner AB "Happy" Chandler

 

This updated list of Negro League players who served in the military during World War II, includes players who were with independent teams and those who played Negro League baseball after the war.

 

 

Name Position Team Service Location Years Details
Wilbur C. Adkisson   Nashville Cubs Army   1943-1946 Played in minors.
Willis "Red" Applegate P Newark Eagles Army MTO 1942-1945 92nd Infantry Division
James "Jimmie" Armstead   Baltimore Elite Giants USAAF USA 1942-1944 Tuskegee AAF, AL
John S. Armstrong   Knoxville Giants Army   1942-1946  
Russell Awkard OF Newark Eagles Army ETO 1941-1945 Quartermaster Corps in England, France and Belgium.
John "Red" Bailey   Toledo Crawfords Army USA 1942- Fort Bragg
Eugene W. Baker 2B Kansas City Monarchs Navy USA 1943-1946 Ottumwa Naval Air Station and Iowa Pre-Flight School. Played MLB.
Hudson Baker   Philadelphia Stars Army   1944  
Dan Bankhead P Birmingham Black Barons Marine Corps USA 1943-1946  Camp Montford Point, in Jacksonville, NC. Played MLB
John T. Banks   Philadelphia Stars Army   1943-1946  
Richard Banks   Newark Eagles Navy   1942-1945  
Richard A. "Skeeter" Banks   Richmond Giants Army MTO 1941-1945 Trucking company in N Africa, Sicily and Italy
John Q. "Bud" Barbee 1B Baltimore Elite Giants Army MTO 1943-1945 MP Unit, 92nd Infantry Division. Private First Class. Played in minors
Sam Barber P Cleveland Buckeyes Army   1942-1945  
William "Bill" Barnes P Baltimore Elite Giants Army USA 1942-1945 MP in Los Angeles, CA
Charles Beatty   Philadelphia Stars Navy      
Leonard G. Bender Umpire Negro League Navy   1943-1945  
Jeremiah "Jerry" Bennett   Philadelphia Stars Army Pacific 1942-1945  
Charles A. Biot, Jr. OF Baltimore Elite Giants Army Pacific 1942-1946 Captain of 369th Infantry Regt baseball team, 93rd Division at Fort Huachuca, AZ
Dan Black   Baltimore Elite Giants Navy USA 1942-1943 Williamsburg Supply Depot
Joe Black P Baltimore Elite Giants Army   1943-1945 Played MLB
Garnett E. Blair P Homestead Grays   Army  USA 1942-1945  Perry Point, MD. Played in the minors
William "Bill" Blair, Jr. P Cincinnati Clowns Army   1942-1945 Youngest African-American to serve as first sergeant
Fred Blaylock   Homestead Grays Army   1943-1946  
James "Fireball" Bolden P Cleveland Buckeyes Army   1942-1946  
Lyman Bostock, Sr 1B Birmingham Black Barons Army   1942-1945  
Robert R. "Bob" Boyd   Memphis Red Sox Army USA 1944-1946 Quartermaster Corps. Played MLB
Herb Bracken P Cleveland Buckeyes Navy Pacific 1944-1945 Was 13-1 at Great Lakes and served in Hawaii.
Joe Bracy   Newark Eagles Army   1942-1946  
Willie Bradford Umpire Negro League Army   1942-1945  
Luther H. "Lee" Branham 2B Birmingham Black Barons Army USA 1943 Fort Shaftner. Played in the minors
Bob Branson P Spartanburg Sluggers Army MTO 1945 92nd Infantry Division
Sherwood "Woody" Brewer 2B Kansas City Monarchs Army Pacific 1943-1946  Discovered playing baseball in Guam. Private First Class. Played in the minors
Leroy Bridges   Atlanta Sunshine Stars Army Pacific 1941-1945 Fort Bragg and Pacific Theater
Barney Brown P Philadelphia Stars Army   1943  
James P. Brown P Newark Eagles Army ETO 1944-1945  
Willard "Home Run" Brown OF Kansas City Monarchs Army ETO 1944-1945 Played for ETO champion OISE All-Stars in 1945.
Allen "Lefty" Bryant P Kansas City Monarchs Army   1941-1945 Sergeant
Chester Buchanan P Philadelphia Stars Navy   1944-1945  
Ernest Burke P Baltimore Elite Giants Marine Corps Pacific 1943-1946 Sharpshooter award. With 1946 Military Pacific champions. Played in the minors
Hewitt "Taft" Burton   Nebo Indians Army ETO 1942-1946  
Bonnie Campbell   Fort Worth Black Giants USAAF USA 1942-1946 San Antonio and Ft. Worth, TX
Matthew "Lick" Carlisle 2B Homestead Grays Navy   1945  
Andrew D. "A.D." Carpenter   San Antonio Indians USAAF USA 1943-1947 Kelly Field
Elmer "Snake Eyes" Carter   Kansas City Monarchs Army ETO/MTO 1942-1945 121st Engineer Combat Battalion, 1st Infantry Division. In N Africa and Normandy
Marlin "Mel" Carter 3B Memphis Red Sox Coast Guard  Pacific 1943-1945 Saw Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
William J. "Chick" Carter   Philadelphia Stars Navy Pacific 1943-1946 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
James "Bus" Clarkson SS Philadelphia Stars Army Pacific 1943-1945 Camp Clarkson, CA and New Caledonia with field artillery unit
Alton B. Clay   New York Black Yankees     1943-1946  
Leroy W. "Zack" Clayton C New York Black Yankees Navy USA   Great Lakes baseball team
James C. "Fireball" Cohen P Indianapolis Clowns Army USA 1942-1946 Replacement Training Center at Camp Lee, VA
Cecil E. Cole   Newark Eagles     1941-1946  
Charles Coleman   Chicago American Giants     1940-1946  
Jim Colzie P Indianapolis Clowns USAAF USA 1943-1945 Orlando AAB, Florida
Bill Cooper C Philadelphia Stars Army   1943-1945  
Lewis "Suitcase" Cotten   New Orleans Black Pelicans Army   1941-1945  
Lavell "Ox" Cowan   Kansas City Monarchs USAAF   1943-1946  
George Crowe 1B New York Black Yankees Army CBI 1944-1946 Played MLB
Jimmie Crutchfield OF Chicago American Giants Army   1943-1945  
Willie Lee Curry   U.S. Pipe Army   1943-1945  
Leroy Dancy   Kansas City Monarchs     1944-1945  
Ross "Satchel" Davis P Cleveland Buckeyes Army   1944-1945  
Spencer Davis OF New York Black Yankees Army   1944-1945  
William Davis   Philadelphia Stars Army USA 1945-1946 Ft. Benning, GA
Leon Day P Newark Eagles Army ETO 1943-1946 At Utah Beach on D-Day with 818th Amphibian Battalion. Played for ETO champion OISE All-Stars in 1945. Played MLB
Jim "Big Mitt" Dillon   Kansas City Monarchs Army ETO 1942-1946  
Larry Doby SS Newark Eagles Navy  Pacific 1943-1945  Camp Sam Roberts, Great Lakes, Treasure Island, San Diego, Ulithi. Played MLB
Mahlon "Mal" Duckett INF Philadelphia Stars Army   1944-1945  
Frank Duncan, Jr C/MGR Kansas City Monarchs Army  ETO 1942-1943 Drafted in 1942/43 aged 42. Sergeant with 371st Infantry, 92nd Division.
Frank Duncan III P Kansas City Monarchs Army   1942-1943  Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD. Played in the minors
Jake Dunn SS Philadelphia Stars Army   1942-1945 One of the first Negro Leaguers to enter military service.
Howard Easterling 3B Homestead Grays Army   1944-1945  
Jim Elam P Newark Eagles Army   1944-1945  
Lacy Ellerbe   Homestead Grays     1943-1944  
Charlie England   Philadelphia Stars Army USA 1942-1946 Ship yards, Camp Lee, VA and Camp Travis, TX. Played in the minors
Thomas "Monk" Favors   Baltimore Elite Giants Army   1943-1946  
Wilmer L. "Red" Fields P Homestead Grays Army   1943-1946  Played in the minors
Joe "Fireball" Fillmore P Philadelphia Stars  Army   1943-1946  
Jake Flowers IF New York Black Yankees Army ETO 1944 Corporal
Willie Fordham   Philadelphia Meteors Army ETO 1945-1947 Camp Kilmer, NJ, Ft. Lewis, WA and Geissen, Germany. Played in the minors
Carl Forney OF Indianapolis Clowns Navy      
Jonas Gaines P Baltimore Elite Giants Army USA 1943-1945  Fort Lewis
Howard Gay OF Seattle Steelheads Navy USA   Great Lakes baseball team
Jerry Gibson OF-P Homestead Grays Army   1944-1945  
Louis "Sea Boy" Gillis   Atlanta Black Crackers     1943-1946  
Eugene "Goon" Golden   Kansas City Monarchs Navy USA 1943-1946 Norman, OK, Philadelphia and Rhode Island
David "Red" Gray   Atlanta Sunshine Stars Navy Pacific 1941-1945 Pearl Harbor Supply
Pancho "The Legend" Gray   New York Cubans Army   1941-1944  
William "Bill" Greason P Birmingham Black Barons USMC Pacific   66th Supply Platoon. Took part in Iwo Jima. Played MLB
James "Joe" Greene C Kansas City Monarchs Army MTO 1943-1945 92nd Division, anti-tank company. In North Africa and Italy.
James Griffin   Houston Black Giants Army   1942-1946  
Bob Griffith P New York Black Yankees Army ETO 1944-1945 Corporal
Acie "Skeet" Griggs   Atlanta Black Crackers Army   1941-1943  
Louis Gunn   Portsmouth Grays Army USA 1943-1945 Ft. Lewis, WA
Arthur M. Harding   Portsmouth Barons Army ETO 1945-1946 Germany
Harold "Hal" Hairston P Homestead Grays USAAF Pacific 1941-1945 7th Air Force in Hawaii
Luther Hall   Tuscaloosa Red Sox Army Pacific 1942-1945 Okinawa
Paul Hardy C Birmingham Black Barons Army   1943-1945  
Chuck Harmon SS Indianapolis Clowns US Navy USA 1943-1945 Great Lakes NTS. Played MLB
David "Bill" Harvey P Baltimore Elite Giants Army   1944-1945  
Johnny Hayes C New York Black Yankees Army  ETO 1944-1945  
Curtis Henderson SS New York Black Yankees Army   1944-1945  
George W. Henderson   SP Giants Army USA 1944-1946 Illinois
Leo "Preacher" Henry P Indianapolis Clowns  Army   1944-1945  
Eugene "Gene" Holmes   Ford Bruins Navy Pacific 1943-1946 Hawaii
Billy Horne 2B Cleveland Buckeyes Army   1945  
Sammy T. Hughes 2B Baltimore Elite Giants Army Pacific 1943-1946 196th Support Battalion during invasion of Guam or New Guinea?
Johnny L. Hundley 2B Cleveland Buckeyes Army MTO 1945 92nd Infantry Division
Monford "Monte" Irvin OF Newark Eagles Army ETO 1943-1945 GS Engineers 1313th Battalion. Played MLB
Clarence "Pint" Israel  INF Homestead Grays  Army   1943-1945  
Joseph Jackson   Cocoa Black Indians Army   1943-1946  
Willie Jefferson P Cleveland Buckeyes  Army   1942-1943  
Bobby Jenkins   Orlando All Stars Army   1944-1946 3588th QM
Daniel "Lefty" Jenkins   Durham Eagles Army Pacific 1943-1946  
Byron E. "Mex" Johnson SS Kansas City Monarchs Army ETO  1943-1944 Quartermaster Corps. Landed in Normandy June 11, 1944.
Clifford "Connie" Johnson P Kansas City Monarchs Army   1943-1945  
Eliga "Pete" Johnson   New York Black Yankees Army   1943-1946  
Josh "Brute" Johnson C New York Black Yankees Army ETO 1942-1945 2nd Lieutenant. Anti-aircraft unit. Red Ball Express convoy system.
Ralph Johnson P Philadelphia Stars Army   1942-1944  
Thomas F. "Tom" Johnson   Philadelphia Stars Army Pacific 1942-1945 Ft. Custer, MI, Camp Atterbury, IN and Hawaii
Walter Johnson   Memphis Red Sox Navy   1945-1946  
James "Lefty" Jones   Baltimore Elite Giants     1944-1946  
Larry "School Boy" Kimbrough P Philadelphia Stars Army   1944-1945  
Alton King   Detroit Wolves     1944-1945  
Elmer "Go Get 'Em" Knox   St. Louis Stars Navy USA 1944-1945 Great Lakes NTC
John Westly Lee   Chicago American Giants USAAF Pacific 1942-1946 Manila, Philippines
Rufus "Lew" Lewis P Newark Eagles USAAF   1943-1945  
Wilbur T. "Toney" Lothery   Detroit Brown Bombers Navy   1944-1946  
Frank Luster   Guthrie Black Spiders Navy USA 1943-1945 Hastings Ammunition Depot, NB
Fred Major   Newark Bees Navy   1942-1945  
Maxwell "Max" Manning P Newark Eagles USAAF ETO/Pacific 1942-1946 316th Air Squadron, Quartermaster Corps. Red Ball Express
Ed Martin   Philadelphia Stars Navy   1945-1946  
Tom Martin   Homestead Grays USAAF USA   Salt Lake City
Nath McClinic OF Cleveland Buckeyes Army      
Clinton H. "Butch" McCord 1B Baltimore Elite Giants Army   1944-1945  
Walter McCoy  P Chicago American Giants Army USA 1943-1944  Special Services Unit
George "Smoky" McFadden   Atlanta Black Crackers Army   1942-1944  
William McNeely   Birmingham Black Barons Marine Corps USA 1943-1946 North Carolina and McAllister, OK
Calvin Medley P New York Black Yankees Marine Corps Pacific   Pitched for Fleet Marines
Gibby Meeks   Brooklyn Brown Dodgers Army   1942-1946  
John "Mule" Miles 3B/OF Chicago American Giants USAAF USA 1942-1945 Trained as aircraft mechanic. Served at Kelly Field
Ray "Junior" Miller C Birmingham Black Barons Navy USA 1944-1945 San Diego Naval Base
David "Pepsi Cola" Mobley   Indianapolis Clowns Army ETO 1943-1945 Pacific Coast all-star and 39th Signal Corps team in France
Herbert Moore   Detroit Black Sox Army USA 1943-1946 Ft. Lewis, WA
James "Red" Moore 1B Baltimore Elite Giants Army ETO 1941-1945 Camp Butner, NC. Served with combat engineer battalion of Third Army
Lawrence "Lefty" Napoleon   Kansas City Monarchs Army USA 1943-1946 Oklahoma
Don Newcombe   Newark Eagles Navy USA 1943 Great Lakes NTC
John J. "Buck" O'Neil 1B Kansas City Monarchs Navy Pacific 1943-1945 Construction Battalion.
Warren "Dadd" O'Neill   Detroit Stars Marine Corps   1943-1946  
Tom Parker P New York Cubans Army   1944  
Charlie Parks C Newark Eagles Army  ETO 1943-1945  
Andrew "Pat" Patterson 3B Philadelphia Stars Army   1942-1945  
Bertrand Patterson   Shreveport Black Sports Army Pacific 1943-1946 43rd Trk Bn. Iwo Jima
Oscar H. Pendleton   Indianpolis Clowns Army USA 1942-1946 Ft. Benning, GA
Bill Perkins C Philadelphia Stars Army   1944-1945  
Howard Pernell   Detroit Stars Army USA 1942-1946 Bremerton Naval Yards, WA
Leornard "Len" Pigg C Indianapolis Clowns Army Pacific 1940-1945 Quartermaster Corps at Ft Still (OK). Nine months in Philippines.
Luis G. Pillot P New York Black Yankees Navy USA   Great Lakes baseball team
Horace Pitts   Shreveport Black Sports Army ETO 1942-1946 Hattiesburg, MS, England, Scotland, Omaha Beach
Nathaniel "Nat" Pollard P Birmingham Black Barons Army   1944-1945  
David Pope OF Pittsburgh Crawfords Army USA 1943-1946 Camp Lee, Virginia
Willie "Bill" Pope   Pittsburgh Crawfords Army   1942-1944  
Ernest Powell   San Antonio Black Sox USAAF USA 1945-1946 Tuskegee, AL
Frederick "Freddy" Powell   Mitchellville Tigers     1941-1945  
William "Bill" Powell   Birmingham Black Barons Army   1942-1945  
Henry "Hank" Presswood SS/3B Kansas City Monarchs Army   1945-1947 Special Services
Laymon Ramsey   Atlanta Black Crackers Marine Corps   1943-1945  
William T. "Sonny" Randall OF Homestead Grays Navy USA 1943-1946 Great Lakes NTC
Leonard Randolph   Memphis Red Sox Army USA 1942-1946 Camp Karnes, UT
Robert Rankin   Greensboro Red Wings Army   1943-1946 Engineers
Ulysses A. "Hickey" Redd SS Birmingham Black Barons Army Pacific  1941-1946  Florida and Saipan
Porter Reed   Muskogee Cardinals Army   1942-1945 1894th Engineers
Joe Reynolds   Detroit Speed Kings     1943-1946  
Johnny "Vacuum Sweeper" Reynolds, Jr.   Detroit Stars     1943-1946  
Harry "Lefty" Rhodes   Chicago American Giants     1943-1945  
Ben "Chico" Richardson   New Orleans Black Pelicans Navy Pacific 1943-1945 California and Honolulu
Earl Richardson SS Newark Eagles Navy   1944-1945 Great Lakes baseball team
John F. "Hoss" Ritchey C Chicago American Giants Army ETO/Pacific 1943-1945 Combat Engineer in Europe. Also seven months in Pacific.
Samuel Roberts   East Point Bears Navy Pacific 1944-1946 Hawaii
Henry . "Slow" Robinson C Baltimore Elite Giants Navy   1943-1945  
Jack R. "Jackie" Robinson SS Kansas City Monarchs Army USA 1942-1944 761st Tank Destroyer Battalion at Fort Hood, Texas.
Robert "Bob" Romby P Baltimore Elite Giants Army  USA 1943-1945  Ft. Benning, GA and Ft. Bliss, TX
Leon Ruffin C Newark Eagles Navy   1943-1945  
Frank Russell INF Baltimore Elite Giants Army   1945  
William Samuels   Shreveport Tigers Army   1945-1946  
Joe Scott 1B Birmingham Black Barons Army ETO 1941-1945 Staff Sergeant. 350th Field Artillery, 46th Brigade.
Joe Burt Scott   Memphis Red Sox Army   1942-1945 Wright Field, OH and Great Lakes
Dickie Seay 2B-SS New York Black Yankees Army  USA 1943-1945  Dow Field
Robert "Pepper" Sharpe P Memphis Red Sox Army   1945-1946  
Freddie L. Sheppard   East Point Bears Army   1941-1945  
Joseph J. "Jumping Joe" Siddle 1B Kansas City Monarchs Amy MTO 1942-1945 92nd Infantry Division
Hubert "Bert" Simmons P/OF Baltimore Elite Giants Army   1943-1945  
David Sims   Homestead Grays Army   1942-1945  
Edward "Pete" Sims   Charlotte Black Hornets Army   1940-1945  
Herbert "Briefcase" Simpson 1B/OF Homestead Grays USAAF ETO 1943-1945 2057th Quartermaster Truck Company, Eighth Air Force. Will Rogers Field, OK, England and France
Eugene Smith P New York Black Yankees Army   1943-1945  
John Ford Smith P Kansas City Monarchs USAAF   1942-1945 Lieutenant.
Raymond Smith P Philadelphia Stars Army   1943-1945  
Robert Stephens   Cleveland Buckeyes Army   1943-1946  
Riley A. Stewart   Memphis Red Sox Army   1943-1945  
T R "Ted" Strong OF Kansas City Monarchs Navy   1943-1945  
Mickey "Little Satch" Stubblefield   Kansas City Monarchs Navy USA 1944-1946 Great Lakes NTC and Corpus Christi Naval Base
Lonnie "Carl" Summers C Chicago American Giants Army ETO 1942-1945 614th Tank Destroyer Battalion.
Alfred "Slick" Surratt OF Detroit Stars Army Pacific 1943-1946 Served at New Guinea and the Philippines.
Jack Tanner   Seattle American Giants Army Pacific 1943-1945  
Reece "Goose" Tatum 1B Indianapolis Clowns USAAF USA 1943-1945 Lincoln AAF, NE
Johnny "Schoolboy" Taylor P New York Cubans Army   1942-1945  
Olan "Jelly" Taylor 1B Memphis Red Sox Army   1942-1945 One of the first Negro Leaguers inducted after Pearl Harbor.
Henry C. "Hank" Thompson 2B Kansas City Monarchs Army ETO 1944-1945 1695th Combat Engineers. At Battle of the Bulge.
Robert "Bob" Thurman OF Homestead Grays  Army Pacific 1942-1945 Discovered playing baseball in New Guinea and Philippines.
Ted Toles P Pittsburgh Crawfords Army      
Thomas "Highpockets" Turner   Chicago American Giants Army USA 1940-1945 Ft. Huachuca, AZ
Wyatt Turner C Pittburgh Crawfords Navy USA   Great Lakes baseball team
Cicero "Lefty" Warren   Homestead Grays Army Pacific 1942-1945  
James "Nappy" Washington   Washington Panthers     1942-1945  
John G. "Johnny" Washington 1B Baltimore Elite Giants Army   1942-1945  
Andrew "Big Six" Watts 3B Cleveland Buckeyes  Navy Pacific 1944-1945 With 1944 Great Lakes baseball champions. Also at Guam.
Sylvester Weaver   Daytona Black Cats Army   1943-1946  
Isaac Welch   Indianapolis Clowns     1942-1946  
Roy H. "Snook" Welmaker P Homestead Grays Army  USA 1942-1944  Ft. Benning, GA
David "Speed" Whatley OF Homestead Grays Army   1944-1945  
Cagney Williams   Dallas Brown Bombers Navy   1944-1947  
Emile Williams   Picayune Black Sox Navy   1943-1947  
Frank Williams OF Homestead Grays Army   1944-1945  
Jesse H. Williams SS Kansas City Monarchs Army   1943-1945  
Joseph Williams, Jr.   Ohio Bucks Army   1942-1945  
Junius Williams   San Antonio Black Sox Army   1941-1942  
Roy Williams   Cocoa Black Indians Army   1943-1946  
Samuel Williams   Birmingham Black Barons USAAF USA 1943-1946 Pueblo, CO
Walter T. "Buddy" Williams   Newark Eagles     1941-1945  
Wilmore Williams OF Newark Eagles Navy   1944-1945  
Albert Williamson   Chicago American Giants Army   1942-1945  
Alfred "Apples" Wilmore P Philadelphia Stars Army Pacific 1943-1946 595th Field Artillery Battalion, 93rd Division.
Emmett Wilson OF New York Black Yankees Army   1944-1945  
Fred Wilson OF Indianapolis Clowns Army USA 1944 Fort Benning, Georgia.
Thomas "Tom" Womble   Durham Tigers Army   1943-1946  
Johnny Wright P Homestead Grays  Navy USA 1944-1945 Great Lakes baseball team
Sidney Wynn   Kansas City Monacrhs Army   1942-1945 Third Army QM Corps
James "Zipper" Zapp  OF Baltimore Elite Giants  Navy  Pacific 1942-1945 Discovered on Hawaii teams that won 1943 and 1944 championships. Manana Barracks, Aiea, HI. Also played at Staten Island, NY

Thanks to Bill Swank, Ken Sulik, Bryan Steverson, Mischa Gelman and Bill Nowlin for their very kind help in adding names and further information to the above list.

 

Updated May 10, 2015

 

OISE All-Stars 1945
Willard Brown and Leon Day (front row, far right) with the OISE All-Stars - 1945 ETO Champions

 

 
     
 

 

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