The first football game played in Manila more than three months following the intense battle that gripped the city. With 30,000 spectators filling Rizal Memorial Stadium’s stands, the Army’s 11th Airborne Division faced the Navy’s 11 in a muddy, scoreless battle. Lacking proper football equipment, the teams were fitted jerseys “made of torn parachute silk with numbers sewed on crazily,” war correspondent Sam Kinch reported from the venue. Instead of football cleats, “the players wore paratroopers’ boots, combat shoes, tennis shoes, combat boots and regular shoes,” as they wallowed in the mud-bog-gridiron on July 4, 1945. View the program in its entirety.
Both rosters were packed with former collegiate players from West Point, Harvard, Stanford, Notre Dame Penn, South Carolina, Northwestern, Southern California, Oregon and Washington along with several former semi-pros and high school athletes. The Navy’s roster was bolstered by former Colgate halfback and two-time NFL champion Chicago Bears back, Bill Geyer.
Former Texas A&M 2nd Lt. Andy McBride played tackle for the Airborne while the Navy featured former University of Texas ends LT(jg) Wallace Scott and LT(jg) Jeff Vaughn along with LT(jg) Adolph Kauffmann of SMU at tackle.
View or print the entire Manila Bowl program.
The condition of our program/scorecard is good showing signs of being folded, some moisture damage and oxidation.
This program was acquired by the Chevrons and Diamonds Collection from a veteran’s collection of military sports memorabilia.
Chevrons and Diamonds 