From Eric: ESPN’s Page 2 is presenting the story of an athlete who served in the military every day this week. Today Mary Buckheit interviewed Bob Feller, Navy man, Cleveland Indian and all-around good guy, still chugging alongat 91 and 72 years after his major league debut.
It was a war that had to be won. I needed to join the Navy. If you ask the people in Europe who won World War II, they don’t say the Allies, they say the United States won the war and saved the world. Now, I’m no hero — heroes don’t come home from war, survivors return from wars. I’m very lucky, you know that.
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Most every year I drive down to Elk Horn, Iowa for a Scandinavian festival in May. On the way I pass exits to John Wayne’s birthplace (Winterset, Iowa) and Bob Feller’s birthplace (Van Meter, Iowa). I’m not a sports fan, so I never knew who Bob Feller was, but now I’ll be able to appreciate him more.
An amazing example of an amazing generation.
i grew up in adel iowa, just a few miles from van meter, and as a young boy me and my brother got to meet bob feller at his museum there. I can easily say without a doubt that mr feller left a lasting impression on me. I’m not much of a baseball fan by any means, but i have great respect for a man who, during the peak period of his beloved sport, decided to walk away from it to fight in one of the largest wars our countries ever encountered. mr feller talked with me, my brother and mom and dad for at least a solid half hour, and years down the road i know i’ll be telling my grandkids the lessons i learned from this extraordinary man!
That’s really cool, John.