The 1943 Camp Hood Baseball Season

Fort Hood’s Student Regiment Team, from the September 23, 1943 issue of The Hood Panther. (Courtesy of tankdestroyer.net) 

 

When searching “Camp Hood Baseball,” three words come up often: Jackie, Robinson, and court-martial. Numerous articles have been written about Robinson’s time at Camp Hood—many about his August 1944 court-martial after refusing to move to the back of a non-segregated bus1—but far, far less attention has been paid to the baseball actually played at the camp. This article intends to rectify that oversight. Camp Hood featured a full baseball league, with a skillful mix of pro, semipro, and amateur players, as well as multiple segregated Black teams which formed their own ecosystem in the camp and surrounding areas.

Initial construction for Camp Hood was completed in September 1942, and the camp was quickly used to begin training Tank Destroyer (TD) Battalions.2 These Battalions were formed, unsurprisingly, with the goal of destroying Axis tanks and other armored vehicles during World War II. As Army members and their families moved in, they increasingly needed facilities for recreation and non-military uses. Sports at Camp Hood exploded in popularity; by September 1943, an estimated $75,000 had been spent on 140 softball fields, 15 baseball diamonds, a dozen tennis courts, two swimming pools, and more smaller recreation areas than the camp newspaper could be asked to count.3

The baseball diamonds played host to a camp-wide baseball league that ran throughout the summer, featuring 15 teams and weekly standings reports in the Hood Panther, the camp newspaper. Many games were reported on, and I have reconstructed as much of each roster as possible. Teams were divided by military units and split into “A” and “B” Leagues, reminiscent of the AL and NL. The victors of each league, based on win percentage, faced off in a three-game series to decide the year’s champion. The A League consisted of the Student Regiment, the Academic Regiment, the 605th, 635th, 651st, 652nd, and 825th Tank Destroyer Battalions, and the 520th Ordnance Company. The B League consisted of the 113th Cavalry Regiment, the Officer Candidate School, the 744th Tank Battalion, and the 603rd, 650th, 653rd, 656th, 657th, and 801st Tank Destroyer Battalions.

By May 27, the season was underway. The first games were reported in the May 27 edition of the Hood Panther, which ran every two weeks until becoming weekly in early July 1943.4 The Panther was an invaluable resource for my research, and almost all my data on rosters and games come from it. To open their season, the Officer Candidate School (OCS) played against the 520th Ordnance Company, winning, 6-5, on five hits.5

The exact status of this game in the standings is questionable; the 520th only begins appearing in standings at the end of July, with a 0-0 record.6 The early season was marked by a feeling-out process, in which teams were formed and disbanded as games were played and reported on inconsistently, and with indeterminate effects on standings. It was only in July, when the paper began running weekly, that games were more well-reported and overall standings were published semi-regularly.

Several teams disbanded early in the season, or joined the season late and did not substantially affect the standings. These teams include the previously-mentioned 520th Ordnance Company, the 744th Tank Battalion, and the 603rd and 656th Tank Destroyer Battalions. The 744th team withdrew prior to June 8, replaced with the 657th Tank Destroyer Battalion. Their final record was 2-1; their one loss came at the hands of the 801st TD Battalion, 11-9.7 The 520th Ordnance Company officially joined the standings at the end of July, but (excluding the previously mentioned game) only played their first games in mid-August; the final reported record was 0-4.8 The 656th TD Battalion also only played games in late August, with a final published record of 0-3, with no further information.9 The 656th was eventually deployed to Europe, serving in the Rhineland and Central European campaigns.10

The 603rd Tank Destroyer Battalion fared much better than its other late-joining compatriots. By August 26, the team had accumulated 4 wins and 1 loss, including a win over the high-performing 113th Cavalry Regiment.11 The team unfortunately fell at the end, losing out to the OCS in a three-game series to determine the B League champion.12 They went on to play another game against the 635th TD Battalion after the season had concluded.13 The baseball roster included Pvt. Bud Giannini (RF), Pvt. Bill Christopher (P), and “Babe” Goforth (P).14 The Battalion landed in France in July 1944 before fighting in the Battle of the Bulge in the winter of 1944-45. The Battalion would also help to liberate Buchenwald concentration camp on April 11, 1945.15

The 650th, 651st, 652nd, and 653rd TD Battalions all had middling, but full, seasons; their games were largely unreported except where they played the top teams, and their roster info is near non-existent. The two notable games are a 651st win over the 652nd, 7-3, early in the season, and a 17-0 trouncing of the 651st by the Camp Training Brigade.16 The only players noted are from the 651st: Cpl. Jack Jiacomini (P) and Pvt. Savage (C).17 The 650th, 651st, and 653rd were all reorganized into other units; The 652nd served only in the US, guarding and escorting German POWs.18

The Academic Regiment also had little luck during their season, albeit with a few interesting games. The first came in the week before July 29, when they suffered a hefty 22-2 loss to the 635th Tank Destroyer Battalion.19 The second was a victory over the McCloskey Hospital team, played in Temple.20 This game (among others) indicates that off-camp games were not unheard of, even outside of specific events.

The 605th TD Battalion began the season strong, winning three out of their first four games to sit second in the A League.21 However, the wheels quickly fell off; their first loss, to the 635th TD Battalion, came off four home runs.22 The 605th failed to win a single game over the next month, falling to 3-4 and out of contention.23 The unit later served in the Rhineland and Central European campaigns. Regrettably, no information on the baseball roster is provided in any sources, however the 605th Tank Destroyer Battalion website— created and maintained by families of those in the unit—has a wealth of information, including a step-by-step look at the entire unit history.24

The 801st Tank Destroyer Battalion had a season middling in results, but with a number of standout games. Their final reported record was 6-7, but the newspaper tells some further stories.25 They held close contests with some of the high performing teams, including a victory over the 657th TD Battalion, and a tight 3-2 loss to the 113th Cavalry Regiment.26 Towards the end of August, however, the team was falling short; an early August loss to the OCS left the team needing a spark.27 They tried to fan the flames of competition before a game with the 603rd, with the 801st Drum and Bugle Corps playing the team into the game. Unfortunately, the grand entrance seemed to have the opposite effect—the 801st lost, 19-0.28

As the season came to a close, the needs of the Army clashed with the 113th Cavalry Regiment’s baseball schedule. While the unit departed Camp Hood the week after August 26, the baseball team stayed behind to make a last gasp at the Camp Championship.29 The 113th had a very strong season, with a 14-3 record just before playing a final game against the OCS team, also 14-3, to determine who would play the 603rd for the B League title.30 The 113th had beaten the OCS recently: a 7-0 win the week before August 5 and an 8-2 victory off 10 OCS errors a week later.31 T-5 Walter Wlazlek started for the 113th and went three scoreless innings before leaking two runs in the fourth. In the fifth, however, the dam burst, with four additional runs coming off Wlazlek and his replacement, Cpl. John Hubiak, the game ending, 6-2, along with the 113th’s season.32 The unit eventually served in the European Theater, seeing action in Normandy, Northern France, the Rhineland, and Central Europe.

THE SEMIPRO TOURNAMENT TEAMS

From July 15 through August 8, the Texas State Semi-Pro Tournament was played.33 The tournament was also open to military teams, and this drew three participants from Camp Hood: the 657th and 635th Tank Destroyer Battalions, and the Student Regiment Team.

The tournament also welcomed a number of teams and players from other military bases, including some bona-fide professional players.34 In all, the estimated value of the contracts of players in the tournament was greater than $1,000,000 (approximately $18,250,000 inflation-adjusted).35 This included The Fort Worth Army-Air Field, featuring Dutch Meyer and Clyde “Rabbit” McDowell; Camp Wallace, featuring Bruce Divers; San Marcos, featuring McLee Baker.36 The tournament winner would be Waco Army-Air Field, featuring Buster Mills, Hoot Evers, Ernest Nelson, Birdie Tebbetts, and Sid Hudson.37

The Camp Hood Teams interrupted their normal seasons to participate in the tournament. The 657th TD Battalion had a middling performance in both their season and the tournament. They ended 5th in the B League, as well as suffering a difficult 8-1 no-hit defeat at the hands of Jack Smiley and the Camp Wallace team in the semipro tournament.38 The 657th’s colleagues performed much better in the tournament. The 635th would eventually fall in the A League to the Student Regiment at the end of the season but would finish with an impressive 13-2 record.39 The team also made quite a bit of noise in the semipro tournament. Pvt. Bob Shepard pitched the first no-hitter in the tournament’s history (about a week before the above-mentioned Smiley performance), leading the team to an 18-0 win over the Bryan Navigators.40 They would eventually bow out of the tournament at 1-2 but would be awarded the tournament’s Sportsmanship Award due to their cheering section.41 The 635th landed at Omaha Beach on D-Day before participating in campaigns in Northern France, the Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe.42 The Student Regiment also managed to pull out a victory, defeating the San Marcos Flying School, 1-0, off the pitching and batting of Herb Karpel, before falling, 8-3, to the Houston Shipbuilders.43

THE “WORLD SERIES”

At the end of the season, the winners of the A and B Leagues faced each other. Emerging from the A League was the Student Regiment, a collection of students now in the military and including an impressive lineup with genuine professional-level talent. From the B League came the Officer Candidate School, a collection of prospective officers and those who trained them. Both teams had dominated their respective leagues but were set on a three-game series to decide the champion of the 1943 season.

The highlights of the Student Regiment lineup come from two players in particular: T-5 Herb Karpel (P) and Pvt. Henry Stram. Karpel, the team’s ace, was in the Yankees farm system before beginning his military service. He would make several solid performances during the 1943 season and eventually be called up to the Yankees in 1946. There, he would pitch 1.2 innings across two games, giving up two runs. Perhaps more time in the league could have steadied him out, but he never received the opportunity; he languished in AAA until his retirement. Hank Stram has a far more interesting and fruitful story. He never made it to the majors, but after playing football and baseball for Purdue he became a professional football coach, going on to coach the 1960-62 Dallas Texans of the AFL, just before the team became the Kansas City Chiefs. The team won three AFL Championships and a Super Bowl in Stram’s 15 years with them. He went on to be inducted into both the Chiefs and Pro Football Halls of Fame.44

The OCS won an overwhelming majority of their games. The roster consisted of no major-league talent, but some players had amateur and semi-pro experience: David Madison (P) had played previously at LSU, James Newberry played at Texas A&M, and Al Scanland had played football at Oklahoma St. and was selected in the 1943 NFL Draft.45 The graduates of the school would become Second Lieutenants before being distributed across the Army.46 Of players on the team, 2nd Lt. James Newberry, 2nd Lt. Al Scanland, and Cpl. John Scroggins would be killed in action in Europe.47

Game One saw Karpel, the Studes’ ace, hold the OCS to a measly two hits to preserve a 7-0 victory for the Student Regiment.48 Game Two saw the series draw even when the OCS’s David Madison held the Students scoreless in a 5-0 rout, forcing a winner-take-all Game Three.49 Before a crowd of 7,500, Karpel once again took the mound for the Student Regiment, facing off against 2nd Lt. Therone Botoher for the OCS.50 The OCS got off to a strong start, with a pair of singles forcing one man across the plate in the top of the third.51 Karpel quickly regained his composure to shut down the Candidates for the inning.52 Help arrived in the bottom of the fourth, with two runs scoring for the Studes and knocking Botoher out, with the OCS bringing in Madison to attempt to clean up the game.53 Madison stemmed the bleeding in the fourth, but gave up one in the fifth, the game ending in a 3-1 Student Regiment victory off only six hits allowed by Karpel.54

THE “NEGRO LEAGUE” TEAMS

Segregated Black units also formed their own baseball teams at Camp Hood. While they did not play in the A or B Leagues or the semi-pro tournament, they did play fairly consistently against each other and competition outside of Camp Hood. Two teams were particularly represented in the Panther articles: the 827th and 829th Tank Destroyer Battalions.

The 829th “Black Panthers” were reported to have won two games, one against the Trucking Battalion and one against the 827th.55 They also lost two against competition outside of camp, but those were the team’s only two losses by August 12.56 No 829th players are named in the articles. The unit only served in the continental US before being disbanded in March 1944.57

Before serving in the European Theater, the 827th Battalion more regularly caught the eyes of the authors of the Panther, with 10 games explicitly mentioned.58 These include victories throughout the year against the Trucking Battalion and the 614th Tank Destroyer Battalion, as well as draws to the 614th (11-1159)and the 758th Tank Destroyer Battalions (6-660). All units mentioned thus far were explicitly Black Battalions, though some were headed by White officers. Outside of the camp, the 827th played the Temple All-Stars and Marlin All-Stars, semipro teams from those towns.61 I could find no evidence of the racial makeup of those teams, including in the Marlin Democrat.

One Camp Hood team, most likely the 827th, also played and defeated the Dallas Green Monarchs, a Black semipro team.62 The last game we know the 827th played, however, is exceptional. Reported in the Panther, the 827th played Camp Hood’s Student Regiment.63 This is the only game I could find evidence for where a White unit played a Black one. It is, to an extent, the “exception that proves the rule”: racism’s longstanding hold on American life and baseball were still firmly in place. But it also illustrated the start of a wider sea-change across American culture. In 1945, the OISE All-Stars, an integrated team, would win the GI World Series in a defeated Germany.64 The next year, Bob Feller and Satchel Paige would lead a “Major League vs. Negro League” barnstorming tour, before finally Camp Hood’s own—or perhaps disowned—Jackie Robinson would break the segregation barrier in 1947.

Rosters and other details regarding Camp Hood baseball can be found in the online appendix.

ANDREW JETT is a lifelong Texas Rangers fan who graduated from Trinity University with a Bachelor’s of Political Science in 2023. Since then, he has volunteered with Retrosheet rectifying discrepancies in play-by-play data of the 1911 and 1910 MLB seasons and worked to deduce play-by-play for Negro Leagues games based on newspaper stories. He currently works at the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum. This upcoming fall, he will begin a Master’s program in Holocaust Studies at Royal Holloway in London.

 

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Aaron Jett, Anne Hanisch, and the Eisenhower Presidential Library for their assistance in my research.

 

Notes

1. Erin Clancey, “United States v. 2LT Jack R. Robinson,” National World War II Museum, accessed February 17, 2025, https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/united-states-v-jack-r-robinson.

2. Frederick L. Briuer, “Fort Cavazos: History, Significance, and Community Impact.” Handbook of Texas Online, accessed February 17, 2025, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/fort-hood. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.

3. PFC Keith Quick, “On The Ball,” Hood Panther, September 16, 1943, 8, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_26_Vol._1_9-16-43.pdf.

4. “OCS Baseball Nine Defeats Ordnance,” Hood Panther, May 27, 1943, 8, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_13_Vol._1_5-27-43.pdf; “Panther Now Published On Weekly Basis,” Hood Panther, July 8, 1943, 1, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_16_Vol._1_7-8-43.pdf.

5. “OCS Baseball Nine Defeats Ordnance,” Hood Panther, May 27, 1943, 8, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_13_Vol._1_5-27-43.pdf.

6. “Baseball Standings,” Hood Panther, July 29, 1943, 8, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_19_Vol._1_7-29-43.pdf.

7. “Baseball Standings,” Hood Panther, July 8, 1943, 8, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_16_Vol._1_7-8-43.pdf.

8. “Baseball Standings,” Hood Panther, August 26, 1943, 8, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_23_Vol._1_8-26-43.pdf.

9. “Baseball Standings,” Hood Panther, August 26, 1943, 8, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_23_Vol._1_8-26-43.pdf.

10. “656th Tank Destroyer Battalion,” tankdestroyer.net, accessed February 12, 2025. https://tankdestroyer.net/units/battalions600s/292-656th-tank-destroyer-battalion/.

11. “Baseball Standings,” Hood Panther, August 26, 1943, 8, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_23_Vol._1_8-26-43.pdf; “Undefeated in Eight Games,” Hood Panther, August 19, 1943, 8, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_22_Vol._1_8-19-43.pdf.

12. “OCS Nine Wins 3 To 1 From 603rd in Seventh,” Hood Panther, September 2, 1943, 8, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_24_Vol._1_9-2-43.pdf; “OCS Nine Wins ‘B’ League Title; Post Series Starts Friday Night,” Hood Panther, September 9, 1943, 8, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_25_Vol._1_9-9-43.pdf.

13. “635th Wins From 603rd,” Hood Panther, September 30, 1943, 8, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_28_Vol._1_9-30-43.pdf.

14. “OCS Wins 3 To 1 From 603rd,” Hood Panther, September 2, 1943, 1, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_24_Vol._1_9-2-43.pdf; “OCS Nine Wins 3 To 1 From 603rd in Seventh,” Hood Panther, September 2, 1943, 8, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_24_Vol._1_9-2-43.pdf; PFC Walter H. Glaser, “OCS Nine Wins ‘B’ League Title; Post Series Starts Friday Night,” Hood Panther, September 9, 1943, 8, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_25_Vol._1_9-9-43.pdf.

15. “603rd Tank Destroyer Battalion,” tankdestroyer.net, accessed February 12, 2025. https://tankdestroyer.net/units/battalions600s/198-603rd-tank-destroyer-battalion/.

16. “651st Bn. Ball Club Victors,” Hood Panther, July 22, 1943, 5, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_18_Vol._1_7-22-43.pdf; “Training Brig. Wins 17 to 0 Game From 651st Battalion,” Hood Panther, September 9, 1943, 8, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_25_Vol._1_9-9-43.pdf.

17. “651st Bn. Ball Club Victors.”

18. “652nd Tank Destroyer Battalion,” tankdestroyer.net, accessed February 12, 2025. https://tankdestroyer.net/units/battalions600s/240-652nd-tank-destroyer-battalion/.

19. “635th Team Back In Race,” Hood Panther, July 29, 1943, 7, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_19_Vol._1_7-29-43.pdf.

20. “Academic Team Wins 6 To 2 From Hospital,” Hood Panther, July 29, 1943, 8, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_19_Vol._1_7-29-43.pdf.

21. “Baseball Standings,” July 8, 1943.

22. PFC Keith Quick, “On the Ball,” Hood Panther, July 8, 1943 8, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_16_Vol._1_7-8-43.pdf.

23. “Baseball Standings,” August 5, 1943.

24. See https://www.605tdb.com/.

25. “Baseball Standings,” Hood Panther, August 26, 1943, 8, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_23_Vol._1_8-26-43.pdf.

26. “801st Baseball Team Wins From 657th 7 to 6,” Hood Panther, July 29, 1943, 8, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_19_Vol._1_7-29-43.pdf; “113th Wins Again,” Hood Panther, July 29, 1943, 7, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_19_Vol._1_7-29-43.pdf.

27. “OCS Team Wins 7-0 From 801st,” Hood Panther, August 5, 1943, 8, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_20_Vol._1_8-5-43.pdf.

28. “Undefeated in Eight Games,” Hood Panther, August 19, 1943, 8, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_22_Vol._1_8-19-43.pdf.

29. “113th Team Stays Here But Loses,” Hood Panther, September 2, 1943, 8, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_24_Vol._1_9-2-43.pdf.

30. “Baseball Standings,”August 26, 1943. “113th Team Stays Here But Loses.”

31. “113th Cavalry Adds Another Win To List,” Hood Panther, August 5, 1943, 7, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_20_Vol._1_8-5-43.pdf; “113th Cavalry Defeats OCS Regiment Players,” Hood Panther, August 12, 1943, 7, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_21_Vol._1_8-12-43.pdf.

32. “113th Team Stays Here But Loses.”

33. “Semi-Pro Tourney Opens at Waco,” The West News, July 16, 1943, 9, https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth589773/m1/9/.

34. “Semi-Pro Tourney Opens at Waco.”

35. “Semi-Pro Tourney Opens at Waco.”

36. “Texas Semi-Pro Opener Tonight,” Abilene Reporter-News, July 22, 1943, 9, https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1757685/m1/9/; “Camp Hood Teams Set New Records in Semi-Pro,” Hood Panther, August 5, 1943, 8, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_20_Vol._1_8-5-43.pdf; “No Hitter Features Semi-Pro Tourney,” Abilene Reporter-News, July 29, 1943, 11, https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1635806/m1/11/.

37. “Waco Fliers Win,” Abilene Reporter-News, July 24, 1943, 2, https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1635801/m1/2/; PFC Keith Quick, “On the Ball,” Hood Panther, July 29, 1943, 8, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_19_Vol._1_7-29-43.pdf; “Waco Nabs Texas Semi-Pro Title,” Abilene Reporter-News, August 9, 1943, 7, https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1635817/m1/7/.

38. “Baseball Standings,” August 26, 1943. “Camp Hood Teams Set New Records in Semi-Pro,” Hood Panther, August 5, 1943, 8, https://tankde-stroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_20_Vol._1_8-5-43.pdf.

39. “Baseball Standings,” August 26, 1943. “Studes Win ‘A’ League,” Hood Panther, August 26, 1943, 7, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_23_Vol._1_8-26-43.pdf.

40. “No Hitter Features Semi-Pro Tourney.”

41. Quick, “On The Ball.”

42. “635th Tank Destroyer Battalion,” tankdestroyer.net, accessed February 17, 2025. https://tankdestroyer.net/units/battalions600s/222-635th-tank-destroyer-battalion/; Gene Smith, “Kansans retrace their steps from Omaha Beach to Austria,” Topeka Capital-Journal, June 3, 1984. https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/635th-Top-Cap_Jnl_Article.pdf.

43. “Student Nine Wins Opener In Semi-Pro,” Hood Panther, July 29, 1943, 8, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_19_Vol._1_7-29-43.pdf; Quick, “On the Ball.”

44. “Hank Stram,” Sports Reference, accessed February 17, 2025. https://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/StraHa0.htm; “1987 I Hank Stram I Coach,” Chiefs Hall of Honor, accessed February 17, 2025. https://www.chiefs.com/hallofhonor/players/hankstram.

45. “OCS Team Wins 7-0 From 801st,” Hood Panther, August 5, 1943, 8, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_20_Vol._1_8-5-43.pdf; “James Newberry,” Baseball’s Greatest Sacrifice, accessed February 17, 2025, https://www.baseballsgreatestsacrifice.com/biographies/newberry_james.html; “1943 NFL Draft,” Sports Reference, accessed February 17, 2025, https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1943/draft.htm.

46. “Sport Stars to Get Bars,” Hood Panther, November 4, 1943, 8, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_33_Vol._1_11-4-43.pdf.

47. “James Newberry,” Baseball’s Greatest Sacrifice, accessed February 17, 2025. https://www.baseballsgreatestsacrifice.com/biographies/newberry_james.html; “38th Armored Infantry Battalion Deaths in Europe,” 7thArmdDiv.org, accessed February 17, 2025. https://www.7tharmddiv.org/38deapho.htm; “Cpl. John Paul Scroggins,” findagrave.com, accessed February 17, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/62987595/john-paul-scroggins.

48. “Student Regt. Camp Champs Defeats OCS Nine, 3 To 1, In Last Tilt,” Hood Panther, September 16, 1943, 8, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_26_Vol._1_9-16-43.pdf

49. PFC Keith Quick, “Two Baseball Squads Finish Unusual Season,” Hood Panther, September 23, 1943, 8, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_27_Vol._1_9-23-43.pdf.

50. “Student Regt. Camp Champs Defeats OCS Nine, 3 To 1, In Last Tilt,” Hood Panther, September 16, 1943, 8, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_26_Vol._1_9-16-43.pdf.

51. “Student Regt. Camp Champs Defeats OCS Nine, 3 To 1, In Last Tilt.”

52. “Student Regt. Camp Champs Defeats OCS Nine, 3 To 1, In Last Tilt.”

53. “Student Regt. Camp Champs Defeats OCS Nine, 3 To 1, In Last Tilt.”

54. “Student Regt. Camp Champs Defeats OCS Nine, 3 To 1, In Last Tilt.”

55. “The ‘Black Panthers’ Win Baseball Game From Trucking Bn.,” Hood Panther, August 12, 1943, 7, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_21_Vol._1_8-12-43.pdf; “829th Bn. Ball Club Victors,” Hood Panther, July 15, 1943, 8,. https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_17_Vol._1_7-15-43.pdf.

56. “The ‘Black Panthers’ Win Baseball Game From Trucking Bn.”

57. “829th Tank Destroyer Battalion (AA),” tankdestroyer.net, accessed February 14, 2025. https://tankdestroyer.net/units/battalions800s/287-829th-tank-destroyer-battalion/.

58. “827th Tank Destroyer Battalion (AA),” tankdestroyer.net, accessed February 17, 2025. https://tankdestroyer.net/units/battalions800s/285-827th-tank-destroyer-battalion-aa/.

59. “827th and 614th Teams Battle To Tie,” Hood Panther, September 2, 1943, 8, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_24_Vol._1_9-2-43.pdf.

60. “827th Ties With 758th,” Hood Panther, September 23, 1943, 8, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_27_Vol._1_9-23-43.pdf.

61. “827 Bn. Club Beats Temple Team, Truck. Bn.,” Hood Panther, July 15, 1943, 8, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_17_Vol._1_7-15-43.pdf; “827th Loses Two Games,” Hood Panther, August 19, 1943, 8, https://tankdestroyer.net/images/stories/ArticlePDFs2/CHP_Issue_22_Vol._1_8-19-43.pdf.

62. Elgin Hychew, “Monarch Face Army in Three Gamer at Rebel,” Dallas Express, June 19, 1943, 10, https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1760037/m1/10/.

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64. John Rosengren, “GI World Series of 1945 Featured Diverse Heroes of the Diamond,” National Baseball Hall of Fame, accessed February 17, 2025. https://baseballhall.org/discover/gi-world-series-of-1945-featured-diverse-heroes-of-the-diamond.