Nearly 1,000 NFL Personnel Fought, 21 Died, and Three Bagged Medal of Honor During the Tragedy That Killed 60,000 People

The NFL has been in existence for over a century. Throughout the decades, football has grown into one of the most popular sports in American history. The game of football and the way it is played has changed drastically into the modern game that fans know today. 

But do you know, there was a turning point in the history of the NFL back in the late 1930s and 40s? This turning point occurred because of a global tragedy that resulted in over 60,000 people losing their lives. 

The NFL and World War II

World War II has an ever-lasting impact on people around the world, as countries divided themselves into the Allied (the ‘Big Three’)and Axis powers. From 1939 to 1945, it was a time of uncertainty and aggravated tension around the globe with more than 50 nations fighting since the Nazi invasion of Poland. Interestingly, the NFL and its personnel were involved in the war that lasted for years. 

According to an article by WWII Memorial Friends, the NFL had three scheduled games taking place when the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service attacked Pearl Harbor. The matches were between Brooklyn Dodgers (now replaced by the Houston Texans) and the New York Giants, the Chicago Cardinals (now the Arizona Cardinals) and the Chicago Bears and the Washington Redskins (now the Washington Commanders) and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Announcers of the first two games requested all servicemen to report to their units. Whereas in the match between the Redskins and the Eagles, the announcer paged the high-ranking officers who were present for the game and did not mention the attacks to the stadium as a whole. This was the beginning of the impact the war had on the NFL as a whole. 

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This led to over 1,000 NFL personnel fighting in the war, with 21 killed in action, and three being commemorated with the Medal of Honor for their heroics during the war. And this led to the league coming up with creative ways to continue their games with so many personnel signing up to serve the country.

The Impact of the war on the league

With so many players enlisted to serve the country during the crisis, it led to rosters coming in short of players to play in the NFL. This led to teams coming up with various creative ways to continue playing the game of football. In 1943, the Dodgers only had seven players on their roster. This led to several retired players signing up to play football once again. Teams such as the Steelers and the Eagles decided to merge and play together for the 1943 season.

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NFL, American Football Herren, USA USA TODAY Sports-Archive Oct 18, 1970; Philadelphia, PA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Norm Snead (16) turns to hand the ball off to running back Lee Bouggess (46) at Franklin Field. Mandatory Credit Herb Weitman-USA TODAY Sports Philadelphia Pensylvannia UNITED STATES, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xHerbxWeitmanx 8477880

The NFL also came forward to provide their support to the country during the war. They sold war bonds at NFL games, which racked up $4 million in revenue in 1942 alone. Apart from this, revenue from 15 exhibition matches was donated to service charities. They donated $680,384.70, which was the largest amount raised by a single athletic organization.

It was definitely a historic moment for the NFL during the period of World War II. And people will always remember the sacrifices of the personnel who gave up their athletic careers to serve the country throughout the years. 

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