Further Review: A salute to athletes in real uniform
It has been just more than 10 years since Pat Tillman died by friendly fire in Afghanistan, and still the choice he made remains unfathomable. Eight months after the Sept. 11, 20001 attacks, Tillman, four seasons into a career at safety with the Arizona Cardinals, left that life for one as an Army Ranger. He was making more than $3 million to play football at the time. Who among us would have had the purity of belief to do that?
Memorial Day is about honoring the difficult choice — that of serving a cause greater than one’s self. It is the holiday of sacrifice that we mark with indulgence. It represents the exact antithesis of the pettiness and selfishness on display in the modern sports arena.
Tillman was just one of many athletes who served, whose resume includes a higher purpose than amassing tackles or driving in runs.
Here’s to those who displayed the best of themselves on fields unmarked and far away.
To Steelers running back Rocky Bleier, his leg shredded by shrapnel in Vietnam, who returned to collect four Super Bowl titles.
To Teddy Ballgame, the great Ted Williams, last .400 hitter, who did two tours as a Marine pilot, flying 39 combat missions in Korea.
To Bob Kalsu, who started one year at guard for the Buffalo Bills before going to Vietnam, where he was killed in 1970 by mortar fire.
To Joe Louis, the heavyweight champ, who enlisted as a private in WWII and endured the indignity of serving in a segregated unit.
To Tim James, an under-the-radar basketball pro who played three years in the NBA and six overseas before quietly enlisting in the Army in 2008 at the age of 31. He served a year-long deployment in Iraq.
To Patty Berg, a founding LPGA member, winner of 15 major golf titles, who also was a Marine lieutenant during WWII.
To Jack Lummus who played nine games in the old NFL before enlisting in the Marine Corps. In 1945, mortally wounded by a land mine on Iwo Jima, he, according to legend, told a field doctor, “Well, doc, the New York Giants lost a mighty good end today.”
And to all the others who served.
About the Author
Steve Hummer writes sports features and columns for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He covers a wide range of sports and topics.
