1945 Navy vs Army Air Forces Football

If the whimsical cover of the October 14, 1945 Navy versus Army Air Forces football game program looks familiar, that is because the artwork was illustrated by Lieutenant Commander Martin A. Topper who was responsible for a similar design for the 1945 Navy World Series scorecard. Also similar to the Navy World Series, this football game featured some of the top professional, collegiate and amateur talent who were serving in the corresponding armed forces branches in the Hawaiian Islands. Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinees William “Bullet Bill” Dudley and George McAfee along with a few college football hall fame members are featured on the rosters.

View or print the entire 1945 Navy vs Army Air Forces game program.

Furlong Field, home for the past three seasons to some of the best baseball games during World War II, hosted the October 14 contest in front of nearly 50,000 GIs which was the largest audience to view an event at the Pearl Harbor Navy sports facility. On paper, the Navy seemed to a slight talent advantage which was reflected in all of the games statistical categories save for the most important; the score.

Navy ball carriers had a difficult time protecting the pigskin, coughing up the ball ten times and allowing the Army to recover six of their miscues. The Navy ground-centric offense moved the ball 242 yards on the ground with just 75 yards through the air. In a stark contrast, the Army was held to just 65 yards rushing one lone passing yard.

Army Starters:

#	Player	Position	Weight	College	Pro Career
36	George Bernhardt	Guard	205	Illinois	Mustangs, HW Bears, Dodgers, Rockets
20	Harry W. Buffington	Guard	205	Oklahoma State	Giants, Dodgers
26	Alton Coppage	End	200	Oklahoma	Cardinals, Browns, Bills
35	*William “Bullet Bill” Dudley*	*LHB*	*185*	*Virginia*	*Steelers, Lions, Redskins*
40	Elmer Madarik	RHB	195	Detroit Mercy	Lions, Redskins
56	Andy Gust Marefos	LHB	225	St. Mary’s	Giants, SF Packers, LA Bulldogs
42	James Guess “Jimmy” Nelson	QB	185	Alabama	Seahawks
44	Roman J. Piskor	Tackle	240	Niagara	Yankees, Browns, Rockets
45	Martin Ruby	Tackle	255	Texas A&M	Dodgers, Yankees, Roughriders
24	Jack Russell	End	215	Baylor	Yankees, Roughriders
29	Raymond H. Smith	Center	205	Tulsa; Missouri	Steam Roller, Eagles

Hall of fame inductions denoted: bold text for College Football Hall of Fame and italicized for Pro Football Hall of Fame (bold + italics for both selections).

The Navy’s aggressive play resulted in 65 penalty yards to Army’s 15 while also losing the turnover edge 6:1.

Navy Starters:

#	Player	Position	Weight	College	Pro Career
24	Gregg Browning	End	185	Denver	Steelers, Giants
22	Lloyd Cheatham	QB	200	Auburn	Cardinals, Yankees
55	Frank Hrabetin	Tackle	215	Loyola Marymount	Eagles, Dodgers, Seahawks
13	Ed Justice	RHB	190	Gonzaga	Redskins
46	Russ Letlow	Guard	210	San Francisco	Packers
41	Al Matuza	Center	200	Georgetown	Bears
48	Bob Morrow	FB	210	Illinois Wesleyan	Cardinals, Giants, Yankees
20	Garrard “Buster” Ramsey	Guard	200	William & Mary	Cardinals
42	Ralph Schilling	End	190	Oklahoma	Redskins, Bisons
38	Bob Sweiger	LHB	105	Minnesota	Bulldogs, Yankees, Hornets
49	Bill Young	Tackle	235	Alabama	Redskins

Bold text indicated induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Printed on a single, sheet of paper, the black monochrome program is aesthetically pleasing with cartoon-like graphics and an intricate, hand-designed rosters and line-up diagram on the interior. Our copy of the program has multiple creases, is dog-eared and showing signs of paper loss due to wear and aging, but is still in fair condition. Our program is the only copy that has been seen on the market in the last half-decade.

The back cover of the 1945 Navy vs Army Air Forces Football Program – Furlong Field, Pearl Harbor, T.H. (Chevrons and Diamonds Collection).

Army Reserves:

#	Player	Position	Weight	College	Pro Career
20	John J. Billick	Center	194
51	Arthur Brandau	Center	205	Tennessee	Steelers
12	John Joseph Broger	Center	190
47	William G. Causey	Tackle	240	Elon	Panthers, Patriots
23	Joseph R. Crawford	Tackle	225	St. Mary’s	HW Bears
16	Tex Jay Daoust	Tackle	205
19	James D. Davis	Guard	185
55	Oliver Day	Back	185	USC	LA Bulldogs, HW Bears
31	Nate DeFrancesca	Guard	195
60	Robert Defruiter	Back	190	Nebraska	Redskins, Lions, Rams
52	Vincent DiFrancesca	Guard	205	Northwestern
50	Leon E. Diner	End	185
34	Lawrence Dixon	Back	190
18	Edward Dusek	Back	205	Texas A&M
15	David C. Eldridge	Back	160
37	James A. Emery	Guard	220
22	Clarence Gorney	End	210
38	Frank Hoffman	End	215
27	Jack Jacobs	Back	185	Oklahoma	HW Bears, Redskins, Packers
11	Baxter G. Jarrel	Tackle	235	North Carolina
54	Russell Jensen	End	190
39	William B. Killman	Tackle	210
46	Joseph S. Kulis	Guard	190	Boston College
17	Peter J. Layden	Back	190	Texas	Yankees
33	Don Joe Loeser	Back	190
57	Walter Messemer	Tackle	225		HW Bears, JC Giants
53	Nick Rodis	Guard	210	Harvard
28	Anthony J. Russell	Guard	190
48	Emerson G. Sasser	End	185
25	Russell W. Stegar	Back	205	Illinois
60	James S. Tillman	Back	185
	Emory Webster	Back	170	Tennessee
32	Clinton C. White	Back	185
49	Robert E. Witt	End	200	Mississippi Southern

Navy Reserves:

#	Player	Position	Weight	College	Pro Career
45	Vince Banonis	Center	225	Detroit Mercy	Cardinals, Steeers, Lions
10	Len Barnum	Back	200	West Virginia Wesleyan	Giants, Eagles
47	Ernie Blandin	Tackle	230	Tulane	Browns, Colts
32	Frank Bohlmann	Guard	190		Yankees, Chiefs, Cardinals
36	Joe Bukant	Back	195	Washington – St. Louis	Eagles, Cardinals
	Dale Burnett	Coach
44	W. Z. Conoly	Guard	205	Texas	Cardinals
33	Jack Crain	Back	185	Texas
51	Joe Davis	End	190	USC	Dodgers
28	Emil Dravic	Guard	198	Cornell
31	Jackie Fields	Back	175
59	Sherwood “Woody” Fries	Guard	225	Colorado State	Packers
21	Jack Hardy	Back	185
53	J. F. Hooper	Tackle	230
34	Len Janiak	Back	200	Ohio	Dodgers, Rams
12	Charlie Justice	Back	175	North Carolina	Redskins
29	Stanley E. Kramer	End	210		San Diego Bombers
17	Bert Kucynski	End	195	Pennsylvania	Lions, Eagles, Bulldogs, Clippers
37	Steve Lach	Back	195	Duke	Cardinals, Steeers
19	Bill Leckonby	Back	195	St. Lawrence	Trojans, Dodgers
11	Don Mangold	Back	175	Indiana
14	*George McAfee*	*Back*	*175*	*Duke*	*Bears*
26	F. F. Mitchell	Back	185
18	R. S. Mitchell	Back	185
25	Parker	End	210
35	Dewy Proctor	Back	200	Furman	Yankees
50	Chester E. Pudloski	Tackle	210	Villanova	Diesels, Rams, Miners, Barons
30	Harry Seltzer	Back	200	Charleston	Lions
40	Lou Sossamon	Center	200	South Carolina	Yankees
16	Jack Stackpool	Back	210	Washington	Eagles

Hall of fame inductions denoted: bold text for College Football Hall of Fame and italicized for Pro Football Hall of Fame (bold + italics for both selections).