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Sports in the WWII Military

August 3, 2020

This was a wonderful article. I like the captions that went with the photos at the end of the article. Each gave me pause.

Pacific Paratrooper

1926 Army/Navy game ticket, Nimitz Museum

The relationship between sports and the American armed forces reached a climax during WWII The military broadened its athletic regimen, established during  WWI, and thereby reproduced a patriotic sporting culture that soldiers had known as civilians. The armed services provided equipment, training, and personnel rather than rely on private agencies, as had been done in WWI.  The entry of numerous prominent athletes into military service represented a public relations boon for the Department of War and cemented a bond between professional sports, athletes, and patriotism.

American football was glorified as everything masculine and befitting the U.S. military experience. As organized sports became even more closely linked with fitness, morale, and patriotism, both within the ranks and on the home front, football became a fixture on military bases at home and abroad. Football was the favored sport among the military brass, as Generals George Marshall, Dwight Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur…

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5 Comments
  1. Thank you very much for sharing this article.

    • What will happen to America’s game this year, GP? Darn…

      • I haven’t the foggiest, Jacqui. After all this time, they get the virus after they go on the road, but the home team doesn’t get it. That says to me the visiting team has been pulling shenanigans when away from home.

      • Don’t get me started. Grr…

    • You’re welcome. Thank you for all your great posts!

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