Since today is Veteran's Day, I got to thinking of Michigan football players who were veterans. I remember watching Mike Lantry, the Vietnam Vet and FG kicker, on TV as a kid. I know Tom Harmon also served following his career at Michigan. Are there other veterans you can think of who played Michigan football (or other sports, for that matter)?
I don't know specifically,
Yes, it does make a lot of
Yes, it does make a lot of sense. And btw, in my haste in posting, I forgot to say thank you to the Mgoblog members who are veterans. Thank you all for your service to our country.
Completely agree. That's not
Completely agree. That's not me though...yet (hopefully). I do pledge to return to MGoBoard with stories of any athletes from teams the board might be interested in, if I make it and if I end up in a company with them.
Edit: Capt. Craig "Encino Man" Schwetje from Generation Kill (great book/series, by the way) played football at Georgia Tech. Nathaniel Fick claims he was an All-American at one point, but I couldn't find anything on that. Since I hold Fick in such high esteem, I'm guessing that was high school, especially since he wasn't drafted after college.
Go Blue!
Mr. Fick
According to his bio on One Bullet Away, he was captain of a national championship cycling team at Dartmouth. While the picture of a D1 football player does fit the mental model of a Marine, surprisingly enough, when I went to OCS in Quanitco it was the football players who ended up taking the silver bullet during PT, while the harriers and wrestlers were running circles around everyone. (Humps were a different story)
As for former D1 players, how about Heisman trophy winner, Rhodes Scholar and eventual Brigadier General Pete Dawkins? Nate Fick reminds me of Pete Dawkins. Someone who's just better than you at everything. 34 years old. CEO of the Center for New American Security.
Arma Virumque Cano
Re: Fick
Plus the three Ivy League degrees, best-selling book and being successful in Recon. You're dead on though, he's someone who I've respected and followed quite a bit since reading One Bullet Away.
Honestly I only mentioned Encino Man because Fick called him an All-American in either his book or Generation Kill, and I was hoping that was college and would be recognizable, which it turned out wasn't the case. I haven't heard Dawkins story, but I will definitely be looking him up after I hit "save" here.
Also, after just reading the UConn chapter in Three and Out, thinking about people like Nathaniel Fick, and talking about OCS, I am about to punish the PT I'm doing in preparation for OCS. That track and pullup bar are going to wish I didn't come today.
Go Blue!
Are you going PLC or OCC? If
Are you going PLC or OCC? If you need any advice, let me know. I still have all of my candidate manuals and can pretty much remember every second of my experience there.
Arma Virumque Cano
I'm working on my application
I'm working on my application package for OCC right now. Hopefully I'll be in Quantico in the next year, so anything would really help, but I'm still a ways off from having a ship date. I know a few people who did the Bulldog Course, but not PLC or OCC.
Right now I'm just keeping my focus on getting to 300, and keeping grades/extracirriculars up. In the coming months it should get a lot more serious, so I'll keep a lookout for you around here when the time starts coming.
Until then, thanks again, happy (belated) birthday, and have a good veterans day.
Go Blue!
Vets in the Team Pix in the Stadium Concourse
I know for a fact that at least one member of the 1948 team was a WWII vet, and I'm sure he's not alone in those teams pictured from the post-war years. Young men whose studies were interrupted to go overseas or hadn't even started college, and were lucky enough to make it back to put on the other helmet (the one with wings).
Bob Chappuis
Bob Chappuis is a WWII vet, though he stopped playing in 1947.
Happy
Veterans Day to all Veterans out there!
"It is better, of course, to know useless things than to know nothing."
"The world is given to me only once..."
Mike Lantry was the kicker.
Mike Lantry was the kicker. Happy Veterans day to all the MGoVets on the board, your service is appreciated way more than you know.
www.eatacheeseburger.blogspot.com Brian Cook has read this blog!
But obviously everyone knows
But obviously everyone knows that Mike Lantry was the kicker because you pointed that out in the OP. Sorry dude, I don't know how to read all that well.
www.eatacheeseburger.blogspot.com Brian Cook has read this blog!
And thank you, MGoVeterans
for your service and sacrifice. We salute you, too!
"I recently heard from fans and friends that Michigan will be great again one day. In my opinion, Michigan never stopped being great." --Zac Ciullo
Agreed. I don't know of any
Agreed. I don't know of any UM vets (other than Harmon, as you mentioned) but my brother just got back from his year-long tour in Iraq. When he left, his 1-year-old daughter wasn't walking or talking. She began doing both of those things during his deployment. Just drives it home to me what these guys are sacrificing, even if they aren't necessarily putting their lives on the line every day (I don't think he saw any combat action over there). So, to all of you who are serving now, have served, or will serve at some point in the future: THANK YOU. Your sacrifices and dedication to ensure our freedom are extremely appreciated.
How about the Commander in
How about the Commander in Chief? Football player and President of the United States, Mr. Gerald Ford.
I would like to render a Hand Salute to all of my Brothers in Arms, especially 36 CAB, 11th ACR (Blackhorse) and 12th Cav. Allons!
Lt. Cmdr. Ford
spent almost 4 years on active duty 1942-1946, seeing action in the Pacific theatre. Hail to the Veterans Valiant! Thank-you for you service to our country.
Taking it one week at a time
Bob Gassoff
Not a football player, but a recent Michigan athlete who deserves our praise and our thanks: Bob Gassoff was a member of the 1998 NCAA Championship hockey team, and later became a Navy SEAL.
It is a day that I take some
It is a day that I take some time to think about those that went before me and those that have followed me. I look in the mirror and wonder how many days do I have left? I wonder why I am still here and others are not. I want to make each day count.
A Marine I am
Trials of service I saw
Semper Fidelis
Semper Fidelis
Thanks to all
I've served Active Duty in the AIr Force for almost 16 years and I can honestly say we have a great country and military corps across the board. Actually I just returned from Iraq last week and all the thanks and well wishes me and my troops received while traveling through the 4-5 airports on our way home was tremendous. I've been to approximately 20 different countries and nobody appreciates their military like the U.S. and I'm darn proud to be a part of it. Thanks to not only all my fellow Vets but thank you to all the great civilians that make this country worth serving. GO BLUE!!!!!!
Reporter: “Did you visit the Parthenon while in Greece?”
Shaquille O’Neill: “I can’t really remember the names of all the clubs we went to.”
Kayshin15, thank you for dedicating yourself to protecting my
family and our country. I am glad you and your colleagues had a safe tour. Hopefully, it will be a long time before you are deployed again.
Your opinion has no value.
Happy Veterans Day
Happy Veterens Day, and a belated 236th Birthday to all of the Marines out there. Semper Fidelis.
Semper Fidelis!
Every generation of my family
Every generation of my family has served until mine. We are very lucky.
You have to respect those who served.
or uh, Duder, or El Duderino if you're not into the whole brevity thing.
Thank you to the veterans,
Thank you to the veterans, and those who continue to serve today. We appreciate your sacrifice and courage.
Happy Veterans Day
to all those who serve and have served. Special thanks to my 10th Mountain Division brothers in arms.
RLTW!
It's already been said
But it deserves to be said again. Thank you to everyone who has served, is serving, and will serve.
"Over? Did you say, over? Nothing is over until we decide it is!"
My thanks go out to all the
My thanks go out to all the military personnel and veterans on the board.
On a historical note, Joseph Barss, Michigan's first Ice Hockey coach, fought for Canada in WWI and was seriously wounded.
Thank you all for your
Thank you all for your sacrifice. I'm honored to say I have quite a few veterans in my family that I am very proud of. No matter what you did during your time of service, big or small, it's important to this nation and our way of living. Thank you veterans for doing what many of us could never do. We salute you
Thank you all for your
Thank you all for your sacrifice. I'm honored to say I have quite a few veterans in my family that I am very proud of. No matter what you did during your time of service, big or small, it's important to this nation and our way of living. Thank you veterans for doing what many of us could never do. We salute you
EDIT: Double post sorry please delete
No apologies necessary. For
No apologies necessary. For the first time on this board, I am OK with a double post. That was worth saying twice.
Double posts about a Thank you
for the Vets is fine for me.. they deserve all the thanks we can give them.
Edit: sorry UMDad I didn't see your post.
Go Blue...
I think we ought to remember WWI soldiers.
For today is the day that the war to end all wars ended. It is also the reason why celebrate this holiday. 9 million dead. 20,000 British dead in ONE day at the Somme. Think about that. 4 times as men died in one day as have Americans have died in 10 years in the War on Terror. Truly ghastly numbers.
"The Ruhr will not be subjected to a single bomb. If an enemy bomber reaches the Ruhr, my name is not Hermann Göring: you can call me Urban Meyer!"
Thank you
I would like to say thank you to all of the veterans out there that visit MGoBlog - I am doing my best to thank every veteran that I come into contact with today so THANK YOU ALL!!
You are truly the best of us.
go blue!
Veterans Day
Luckily I was young and single when I served. I had many shipmates who had to leave wives and young children for months at a time. Every return was joyous, but every time we left again it was even more devastating. To me this is the biggest sacrifice that is also the hardest to measure. God bless our troops today and everyday.
No need for the OT title
You are talking about UM vets. God Bless them for what they gave.
Go Blue...
To our Veterans, I salute you
Michigan or not....
New or old...
"I love him, he's a great coach, he's a great mentor, he's a great friend. He's every single thing you want a college coach to be, and he does it flawlessly." -David Molk
I would gladly do it again.
I spent 6 years in the Air Force and was able to go to Iraq and Afghanistan. There is so much I miss about being a part of the military family. However, with that being said I urge all vets who are out now to go back to school if they don't have a wife and kids. I am trying to find part time or flexible full time work in order to go back to school and use my military benefits to finally obtain a degree. The only way to make this goal happen is to quit my current job which pays very well. This might sound crazy, but then again I did volunteer to go to combat zones, so take it with a grain of salt.
In summary, take advantage of all the benefits we've earned as vets. They are all truly earned benefits and you/we deserve them.
Well said...
Good luck on the outside homie
Reporter: “Did you visit the Parthenon while in Greece?”
Shaquille O’Neill: “I can’t really remember the names of all the clubs we went to.”
Might be a good day to visit Ferry Field...
Wistert Brothers
Alvin "Moose" Wistert (June 26, 1916 – October 3, 2005) was an American football player in the United States. He played college football at the University of Michigan. He was the last of the three brothers—he was preceded by Whitey and Albert (Al)—who were named All-American tackles at Michigan and later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1981. The World War II Marine Corps Veteran was the oldest college football player ever selected as an All-American at age 33.[1] He and his brothers are three of the seven players who have had their numbers retired by the Michigan Wolverines football program.
Their father was a Veteran of the Spanish American War and was later killed in the line of duty while serving on the Chicago Police Department.
Those who stay will be Champions.
Hooah
and Go Blue.
Biz hundert azoi ve tsvantsik
Bo Schembechler served
Bo Schembechler served briefly in the Army from 1952-1954.
Hail to the college whose colors we wear,
Hurrah for the Yellow and Blue!
Also, most of our astronaut
Also, most of our astronaut alumni are veterans, as most astronauts have a military background.
Benjamin Pritchard was a Union Army general and commanded the cavalry unit that captured Confederate President Jefferson Davis. He earned a law degree at Michigan (1860).
Benny Friedman and Forest Evashevski (Harmon's lead blocker) served in the Navy during World War II.
Though not veterans themselves, several prominent military aircraft designers were Michigan grads. Robert Hall (BSE '27) of Grumman helped design the F4F Wildcat, TBM Avenger, and F6F Hellcat. Willis Hawkins (BSE '37) of Lockheed helped design the Constellation, P-80, F-104 and led the team that designed the C-130. Clarence "Kelly" Johnson (BSE '32, MSE '33), one of the real legends of aircraft design, was the first leader of the famed Lockheed "Skunk Works" and played a major role in designing the P-38, the U-2, the SR-71, and the F-117.
Hail to the college whose colors we wear,
Hurrah for the Yellow and Blue!
Fortuna Fortes Juvat (1/3
Fortuna Fortes Juvat (1/3 Bravo). Semper Fi to all my leatherneck and devil dog brothers and sisters, especially to those away from their families today. And thank you to the families of our war dead who gave their last full measure of devotion.
I don't know specifically, but I know the USMC talks up a good amount of former D1 athletes going into Officer Candidate School after getting their degree. Makes a lot of sense when you think about it.
Go Blue!