Sports Heroes Who Served: Baseball Hall of Famer Served in World War II
Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg was one of Major League Baseball’s biggest stars. But for three years during World War II, he traded his baseball glove for a rifle, stepping onto the battlefields of Europe to fight for his country.
Greenberg, a first baseman for the Detroit Tigers, was one of many major league baseball players who interrupted their careers to serve in the military during the war. He was drafted into the Army in 1941, just as the United States entered the war following the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Greenberg, who was 29 years old at the time, could have requested a deferment because of his occupation as a professional athlete. But he chose to serve.
“I felt it was my duty to do my part,” Greenberg said in an interview years later. “I was in good physical condition, and I wanted to help my country win the war.”
Greenberg served in the Army’s 339th Infantry Regiment, which was part of the 85th Infantry Division. He landed at Omaha Beach on D-Day, June 6, 1944, and fought his way across France and into Germany.
Greenberg was wounded twice in combat, once in the leg and once in the chest. But he refused to be evacuated, and he continued to fight with his unit until the war ended in 1945.
For his service, Greenberg was awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart.
After the war, Greenberg returned to the Detroit Tigers and played for another four seasons. He retired in 1947 with a lifetime batting average of .313 and 331 home runs.
Greenberg was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1956. He died in 1986 at the age of 75.
Greenberg’s story is a reminder of the sacrifices that many Americans made during World War II. It is also a reminder of the importance of service to our country.
Sports Heroes Who Served: Baseball Hall of Famer Served in World War II
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