Max
Tom Harmon: All-American, Ladies' Man, Would-Be Draft Dodger?
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Before we get started, let me emphasize that I think Tom Harmon is one of the finest men to have attended the University of Michigan (which I also currently attend). The diary title is not an attempt to troll; regardless of whether or not Harmon desired to be a soldier, the fact is he was - and, from all accounts, an excellent one at that. That said:
Asked by a judge for whom I intern to assemble a collection of newspaper clippings from the early 1940s pertaining to Detroit councilmen who were bribed and ultimately imprisoned [Edit - this project was solely for the judge's amusement, the idea was NOT to inform any current proceedings. This was NOT legal research.], I happened to notice the name "Harmon" on a 1941 Detroit Free Press paper:
The main article reads:
"Harmon Saves Press Agents; Meets Actress at Deadline
The Detroit Free Press - Friday, September 19, 1941
A motion picture actress arrived at City Airport Friday and --
surprise! Tom Harmon was there to greet her.
Harmon, an obliging fellow who seldom tells a press agent where to
head in, has in recent months been photographed meeting (1) Anita
Louise, who accompanied him to the U. of M. senior ball; (2) Elyse
Knox, a move starlet in whom he declared he really had a romantic
interest; (3) Miss Everlyn Keyes, Thursday's arrival.
Miss Keyes, a brown-eyed blond who will join Harmon Friday in a
personal appearance in connection with their current films, almost
arrived without benefit of the All-American halfback.
Ten minutes before plane time, a cordon of press agents was combing
the airport station for Harmon.
"I told him to be here," one of them said distractedly between the
search of the airport restaurant and the men's lounge. "Besides, he
got a wire from the coast.
Harmon arrived as the orchid-bedecked Miss Keyes alighted from the plain.
"Is it romance this time?" a newly arrived reported asked hopefully.
Both principals shook their heads.
"She probably has 5,000 fellows on the coast," Harmon said.
"There's no romantic content in our relationship at all," Miss Keyes said.
The press agents began a hunt for the limousine, complete with driver,
which had been ordered for the occasion. It was missing, so Miss
Keyes went to the Hotel Book-Cadillac in Harmon's roadster."
Good for him, eh? Oddly placed in the midst of this article, however, is another about Harmon:
"Draft Deferment Denied
GARY, Ind., Sept. 18 -- (UP) -- Tom Harmon, Michigan's football hero,
tonight was denied a request for a 3-A draft deferment and was subject
to immediate call to service provided he pass his physical
examination, local Draft Board officials announced."
Beyond Harmon himself, there's an interesting link between the two articles that I stumbled upon by chance when I Googled the three young ladies mentioned in the main article.
As far as I can tell, a 3-A draft deferment is contingent upon "hardship to dependents." Who might those dependents have been?
Well, when Harmon entered the military, it was at the expense of his engagement to Elyse Knox, the second woman mentioned in the main article; they called off their engagement upon his draft. Might Harmon have sought the deferment in order to maintain this engagement?
In any case, there's a happy ending: During Harmon's stint in the military, Elyse married and divorced. Upon Harmon's return, the two rekindled their engagement, and were wed. Her wedding dress was made out of the silk from the parachute Harmon used as he famously bailed out of his crippled plane. The pair stayed together until his death in 1990.
Anyway, I thought it was pretty cool.
I also liked when Harmon called Miss Keyes a slut.
Asked by a judge for whom I intern to assemble a collection of newspaper clippings from the early 1940s pertaining to Detroit councilmen who were bribed and ultimately imprisoned [Edit - this project was solely for the judge's amusement, the idea was NOT to inform any current proceedings. This was NOT legal research.], I happened to notice the name "Harmon" on a 1941 Detroit Free Press paper:
The main article reads:
"Harmon Saves Press Agents; Meets Actress at Deadline
The Detroit Free Press - Friday, September 19, 1941
A motion picture actress arrived at City Airport Friday and --
surprise! Tom Harmon was there to greet her.
Harmon, an obliging fellow who seldom tells a press agent where to
head in, has in recent months been photographed meeting (1) Anita
Louise, who accompanied him to the U. of M. senior ball; (2) Elyse
Knox, a move starlet in whom he declared he really had a romantic
interest; (3) Miss Everlyn Keyes, Thursday's arrival.
Miss Keyes, a brown-eyed blond who will join Harmon Friday in a
personal appearance in connection with their current films, almost
arrived without benefit of the All-American halfback.
Ten minutes before plane time, a cordon of press agents was combing
the airport station for Harmon.
"I told him to be here," one of them said distractedly between the
search of the airport restaurant and the men's lounge. "Besides, he
got a wire from the coast.
Harmon arrived as the orchid-bedecked Miss Keyes alighted from the plain.
"Is it romance this time?" a newly arrived reported asked hopefully.
Both principals shook their heads.
"She probably has 5,000 fellows on the coast," Harmon said.
"There's no romantic content in our relationship at all," Miss Keyes said.
The press agents began a hunt for the limousine, complete with driver,
which had been ordered for the occasion. It was missing, so Miss
Keyes went to the Hotel Book-Cadillac in Harmon's roadster."
Good for him, eh? Oddly placed in the midst of this article, however, is another about Harmon:
"Draft Deferment Denied
GARY, Ind., Sept. 18 -- (UP) -- Tom Harmon, Michigan's football hero,
tonight was denied a request for a 3-A draft deferment and was subject
to immediate call to service provided he pass his physical
examination, local Draft Board officials announced."
Beyond Harmon himself, there's an interesting link between the two articles that I stumbled upon by chance when I Googled the three young ladies mentioned in the main article.
As far as I can tell, a 3-A draft deferment is contingent upon "hardship to dependents." Who might those dependents have been?
Well, when Harmon entered the military, it was at the expense of his engagement to Elyse Knox, the second woman mentioned in the main article; they called off their engagement upon his draft. Might Harmon have sought the deferment in order to maintain this engagement?
In any case, there's a happy ending: During Harmon's stint in the military, Elyse married and divorced. Upon Harmon's return, the two rekindled their engagement, and were wed. Her wedding dress was made out of the silk from the parachute Harmon used as he famously bailed out of his crippled plane. The pair stayed together until his death in 1990.
Anyway, I thought it was pretty cool.
I also liked when Harmon called Miss Keyes a slut.
RichRod Grows Tired
RichRod grows tired of your unimaginative questions.
http://imgcash2.imageshack.us/img507/8425/picture1uw0.png
This is me typing 25 words. This is me typing 25 words. This is me typing 25 words.
Leather Helmets Myth
Something I put together a little while back when I thought I was worthy of a real blog. Whoops. In any case, I think it's a nice little "fact"-finding piece. It certainly won't hold up to the scrutiny of Mgocommenters, but it's a topic worth pondering nonetheless: http://hctw.blogspot.com/2008/06/michigan-myth-busters-leather-helmets.html
Black Heart Gold Pants Sucks
http://www.blackheartgoldpants.com/2008/6/30/562094/michigan-where-plagi...
While I really enjoyed getting the shout-out, this post was garbage. If I was Brian and had the motivation and desire to throw back a detailed rebuttal, I would. But I'm not, so I won't. Any Michigan fan worth his salt can identify the fallacies saturating BHGP's post.
"Consider yourself warned, Michigan."
http://football.stassen.com/cgi-bin/records/opp-opp.pl?start=1869&end=20...
Consider yourself owned, Iowa.
Mainstream Media Disrespect
An ongoing project I'm putting together, this is a compilation of mainstream media articles in which Michigan is baselessly and inexplicably classified as a team in ruins. I don't expect the Wolverines to be in anyone's Top 10, don't get me wrong. But if you're going to make a point of writing that Michigan is "in the 40s and falling" in your Spring Top 25, at least one line of textual support would seem appropriate.
http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=403529
Michigan “in the 40s and falling” in post-spring poll.
http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=405647
Michigan one of 5 teams “in reverse.”
http://cfn.scout.com/2/744200.html
Ohio State a “likely loss,” no “almost certain wins.”
http://www.sportsline.com/collegefootball/story/10810054/3
Michigan won’t win the Big Ten, beat Ohio State, get to a January 1st bowl,or get to any bowl for that matter
Watch Fiesta Bowl Online
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As I've yet to watch the entirety of a West Virginia football game with the vested interest of knowing the Michigan offense will look very, very similar, I decided to watch the Fiesta Bowl from this past year - West Virginia vs. Oklahoma. The full game can be viewed here: http://www.hulu.com/watch/6341/tostitos-fiesta-bowl-2008-tostitos-fiesta-bowl-game-2008-oklahoma-vs-west-virginia
