It's Memorial Day here in America! Time to remember ALL of those who have given to help make our country great. I don't have the words or the space to do all of those people justice, so, this being a sports card blog, I'd like to honor just one as an example of all the blood, sweat and tears that have gone into making the USA great.
There have been many players that have seen time in the military, fewer who have seen active combat, but only one who was actively involved in 2 separate wars. Jerry Coleman is the epitome or ideal example of what athletes have done in defending our nation. He is the only major league baseball player to have seen active combat in two wars—World War II and Korea. Jerry served three years in World War II at Guadalcanal, the Solomon Islands, and the Philippines, and two years in Korea. Jerry flew more than 120 combat missions, and on one in Korea, he landed his Corsair with a full bomb load, the plane flipped over, and the “Colonel” was nearly strangled by his helmet straps. He was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses, 13 air medals, and three Navy citations as a Marine aviator. Coleman is now 85.
Thanks Jerry!
The Diamond King
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