Chevrons and Diamonds

When researching baseball militaria artifacts, our pursuits often take us down paths in which we discover individuals who are otherwise anonymous in both baseball and military history. Many of the individuals spotlighted below were stars of the game in school or within their home region’s semi-professional leagues before or after the war while others turned in notable minor league careers.

• Joe Batcha
  • A Combat and Baseball Story Uncovered: Discovery From a Lone Name on a Photo
• Joe Consoli
  • A Darker Side: Context Matters When Viewing History; Even with Baseball Militaria
• Jack Dobratz
  • Hero Among Us: Just an Ordinary “Joe”
• Mario “Marty” Errante
  • From Hurling on the Hill to Landing on the Moon
• Admiral Frank W. Fenno, Chief Ovie Mulkie
  • Legends of the Fleet and Game
• Fire Controlman 2/c Vincent Gunderson
  • Remembering Pearl Harbor and the Game
• Bobby Hornig
  • His Best Baseball Seasons While Serving: Bobby Hornig’s Unrealized Potential as a Pro
• Colonel Ronald D. Johnson
  • On the Mound and In Command at 59
• Donald Lynn Patrick
  • A Grand War Story Leads to a Chance at a Career in Baseball
• Lawrence M. “Lefty” Powell
  • Threads of Lefty: From Ace Farmhand to the GI World Series, Part I
  • Threads of Lefty: From Ace Farmhand to the GI World Series, Part II
• Henry A. “Dutch” Raffeis
  • The “Flying Dutchman” of U.S. Navy Service-Team Baseball
• James Richard “Dick” Ward
  • James R. “Dick” Ward: ‘Colonel’ to Seaman, Diamond Star to Hero