Remembering NFL players who gave it all

I will admit that I do not know more than a handful of players that also served in the Armed Forces. Well, I am going to educate myself and try to share this info with everyone.

I wanna list all the famous people. The people you know. But I am gonna just list the guys you might not know. The guys that lost their lives. The guys who should be remembered most today.

WORLD WAR II

• Cpl. Mike Basca (HB, Philadelphia, 1941) – Killed in France in 1944

• Lt. Charlie Behan (E, Detroit, 1942) – Killed on Okinawa in 1945

• Maj. Keith Birlem (E, Cardinals-Washington, 1939) – Killed trying to land combat-damaged bomber in England in 1943

• Lt. Al Blozis (T, Giants, 1942-1944) – Killed in France, 1945

• Lt. Chuck Braidwood (E, Portsmouth-Cleveland-Cardinals-Cincinnati, 1930-1933) – Member of Red Cross. Killed in South Pacific, winter 1944-1945

• Lt. Young Bussey (QB, Bears, 1940-1941) – Killed in Philippines landing assault in 1944

• Lt. Jack Chevigny (Coach, Cardinals, 1932) – Killed on Iwo Jima in 1945

• Capt. Ed Doyle (E, Frankford-Pottsville, 1924-1925) – Killed during North Africa invasion in 1942

• Lt. Col. Grassy Hinton (B, Staten Island, 1932) – Killed in plane crash in East Indies in 1944

• Capt. Smiley Johnson (G, Green Bay, 1940-1941) – Killed on Iwo Jima in 1945

• Lt. Eddie Kahn (G, Boston/Washington, 1935-1937) – Died from wounds suffered during Leyte invasion in 1945

• Sgt. Alex Ketzko (T, Detroit, 1943) – Killed in France in 1944

• Capt. Lee Kizzire (FB, Detroit, 1937) – Shot down near New Guinea in 1943

• LT Jack Lummus (E, Giants, 1941) – Killed on Iwo Jima in 1945

• Bob Mackert (T, Rochester Jeffersons, 1925)

• Frank Maher (B, Pittsburgh-Cleveland Rams, 1941)

• Pvt. Jim Mooney (E-G-FB, Newark-Brooklyn-Cincinnati-St. Louis-Cardinals, 1930-1937) – Killed by sniper in France in 1944

• Lt. John O’Keefe (Front office, Philadelphia) – Killed flying a patrol mission in Panama Canal Zone

• Chief Spec. Gus Sonnenberg (B, Buffalo-Columbus-Detroit-Providence, 1923-1928, 1930) – Died of illness at Bethesda Naval Hospital in 1944

• Lt. Len Supulski (E, Philadelphia, 1942) – Killed in plane crash in Nebraska in 1944

• Lt. Don Wemple (E, Brooklyn, 1941) – Killed in plane crash in India in 1944

• Lt. Chet Wetterlund (HB, Cardinals-Detroit, 1942) – Killed in plane crash off New Jersey coast in 1944

• Capt. Waddy Young (E, Brooklyn, 1939-1940) – Killed in plane crash following first B-29 raid on Tokyo in 1945

VIETNAM

• Lt. Bob Kalsu (G, Buffalo, 1968) – Killed in an attack while defending Base Ripcord on July 21, 1970

• Maj. Don Steinbrunner (T, Cleveland Browns, 1953) – Shot down over Kontum, South Vietnam on July 20, 1967

AFGHANISTAN

• Cpl. Pat Tillman (DB, Arizona, 1998-2001) – Killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004