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Posted on 8/17/26 at 3:19 pm to VFL67
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Imagine Jayden Daniels, Lane Kiffin, or timothee chalamet going to war now. We would be fricked
John Wayne bravely got a draft exemption and stayed behind. Joe Louis did boxing exhibitions. Nixon was a supply clerk during the war who spent his time organizing poker games. Ronald Reagan stepped forward and insisted he spend his time making training films warning about the dangers of VD. Not everyone was a hero back then.
Hell, the studio heads were so certain that Jimmy Stewart would come across as gay they made him visit a brothel down the street from the studio to establish he was 100 percent heterosexual. Military hero for sure but he was his generation's version of Chalamet before WW2.
Kiffin is 51. If we start turning to 51 year olds who aren't military professionals we are utterly screwed. Do you want a 51 year old private going into the line?
Existential wars tend to grab a lot of people, and a lot of people spend their wealth and influence to avoid fighting in them even if the country is in danger. The last several generations have a better history of volunteering to go to war than the Greatest Generation did.
Before you start screaming woke and pissing your pants in anger... look it up. We fought Vietnam with a higher percentage of volunteers than World War 2 did.
The important thing to remember about this. The really important thing, is simple. But for World War 2 Arkansas would have had a young Bear Bryant as our head coach.
Posted on 8/17/26 at 3:27 pm to Arksulli
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But for World War 2 Arkansas would have had a young Bear Bryant as our head coach.
Bryant was eventually going to end up at BAMA no matter what because that's where he played and his mother was a huge BAMA fan as well.
His mother called him and made sure he took the BAMA job when offered.
Posted on 8/17/26 at 3:32 pm to BOSCEAUX
Oklahoma wasn't SEC then... but OU lost 1938 All American Waddy Young in WWII... In Viet Nam OU lost former AA Bob Kalsu who was the only active NFL player lost in Viet Nam and I believe the only NFL guy who died in war until Pat Tillman.
Bud Wilkinson was in the Navy during the war and the boat he was on was bombed.
Bud Wilkinson was in the Navy during the war and the boat he was on was bombed.
Posted on 8/17/26 at 3:36 pm to Gunga Din
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I believe the only NFL guy who died in war until Pat Tillman.
Hard to believe that. Rocky Bleier got really messed up in Vietnam.
Posted on 8/17/26 at 3:40 pm to Arksulli
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Before you start screaming woke and pissing your pants in anger... look it up. We fought Vietnam with a higher percentage of volunteers than World War 2 did.
It is an apples and oranges comparison. The amount of manpower required in WWII dwarfed that of Vietnam. Despite the U.S. population being 40% smaller at the beginning of WWII than Vietnam, twice as many men served, and four times as many fought in WWII compared to Vietnam. Had the U.S. needed to call up 1/4 of the total male population to fight Vietnam, like they did in WWII, the percent of volunteers would have changed greatly.
Posted on 8/17/26 at 3:55 pm to BOSCEAUX
LEW CORDELL
Llewellyn (Lew) Cordell was born in Hart County in 1910. He was a star athlete in high school and went on to play football at the University of Georgia. A diligent performer, Cordell never missed a practice while at UGA. He was a letterman on the Bulldogs' 1934 team that went 7-3. In his senior year, Cordell signed a contract with the Chicago Bears, only to reverse his field and accept a coaching job at Georgia Military College (GMC). Cordell would remain at the school from 1936-1958, posting an overall record of 118-36-7. He guided his teams to 12 Southeastern Regional Junior College Championships and lifted the GMC football program to national prominence. Lew was the first JUCO Coach East of the Mississippi to place a player on the All-American list, and had a total of 27 when retired. In 1985, GMC renamed the Field House Complex the Cordell Events Center in his honor.
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Now, take note that he was listed as the HC at GMC from 1936-1958; however, he was on active duty for six years during WWII. He actually coached sixteen seasons. He had 12 championships. Do the math.
Posted on 8/17/26 at 4:02 pm to BOSCEAUX
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I’m just thinking about if that happened today you wouldn’t see these highly successful professionals signing up to fight.
Your order of operations is flipped. These folks signed up first THEN became successful professionals, just like many, many others of their time. ever heard of the GI bill?
Posted on 8/17/26 at 4:10 pm to wareaglepete
Paul “Bear” Bryant once said of Auburn football coach Ralph “Shug” Jordan, “Shug has more courage in his little finger than I’ve got in my entire body” 1819 News+1. This remark was a rare and heartfelt tribute from one football legend to another, underscoring Bryant’s deep respect for Jordan’s wartime service.
Bryant made the comment after Jordan’s return from World War II, where he had served with distinction. Jordan, a Selma native and Auburn graduate, volunteered for the U.S. Army in 1942, interrupting his coaching career to serve his country 1819 News. He reached the rank of major and participated in four major WWII operations — the invasions of North Africa, Sicily, Normandy (D-Day), and Okinawa AU
Bryant made the comment after Jordan’s return from World War II, where he had served with distinction. Jordan, a Selma native and Auburn graduate, volunteered for the U.S. Army in 1942, interrupting his coaching career to serve his country 1819 News. He reached the rank of major and participated in four major WWII operations — the invasions of North Africa, Sicily, Normandy (D-Day), and Okinawa AU
Posted on 8/17/26 at 4:18 pm to BOSCEAUX
quote:
I’m just thinking about if that happened today you wouldn’t see these highly successful professionals signing up to fight.
Glen Coffee opted out of playing in the NFL to join the Army.
Posted on 8/17/26 at 4:20 pm to BOSCEAUX
Coach Neyland is the best defensive mind of all time. Bear Bryant even said he learned everything from General Neyland.
If he hadn't stepped away to go serve who knows how many more titles he could've won. That generation is just built different - now coaches hop from team to team and people only care about NIL.
God bless the greatest generation
If he hadn't stepped away to go serve who knows how many more titles he could've won. That generation is just built different - now coaches hop from team to team and people only care about NIL.
God bless the greatest generation
Posted on 8/17/26 at 5:00 pm to Vols98
Paul Dietzel (September 5, 1924 - September 24, 2013) was a B-29 pilot who served in WWII. From the The National WWII Museum's oral history collection, we hear Dietzel describe his experiences during the firebombing of Japan. A former Louisiana State University football coach, Paul Dietzel took the Tigers to the 1958 national championship.
Posted on 8/17/26 at 5:08 pm to wareaglepete
Shug was a stud
Posted on 8/17/26 at 6:06 pm to BOSCEAUX
quote:
Neyland served in WWI also.
I have always felt he was the greatest SEC coach of all time but war and service to his country over time at a school hampered his numbers and the younger generations have no clue.
Similar thing happened to Bernie at Tulane & Minnesota in the same time period.
Posted on 8/17/26 at 6:37 pm to BOSCEAUX
We've had six veteran head coaches.
Eugene Van Gent: WWI, Army [coach 1916]
Berry Whitaker: WWI, Army [coach 1920-1922]
John Edward “Jack” Chevigny: WWII, Army and Marine Corps; killed at the Battle of Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945 [coach 1934-1936]
Dana X. Bible: WWI, Air Corps [coach 1937-1946]
Ed Price: WWII, Navy [football letterman 1930-1932; coach 1951-1956]
Darrell Royal: WWII, Army Air Corps [coach 1957-1976]
Thank you for your service, gentlemen
Eugene Van Gent: WWI, Army [coach 1916]
Berry Whitaker: WWI, Army [coach 1920-1922]
John Edward “Jack” Chevigny: WWII, Army and Marine Corps; killed at the Battle of Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945 [coach 1934-1936]
Dana X. Bible: WWI, Air Corps [coach 1937-1946]
Ed Price: WWII, Navy [football letterman 1930-1932; coach 1951-1956]
Darrell Royal: WWII, Army Air Corps [coach 1957-1976]
Thank you for your service, gentlemen
This post was edited on 8/17/26 at 6:41 pm
Posted on 8/17/26 at 6:40 pm to Arksulli
quote:
Ronald Reagan stepped forward and insisted he spend his time making training films warning about the dangers of VD. Not everyone was a hero back then.
Reagan was deaf in one ear from a gun going off to close to his head while making a movie.
Oh, and Stewart was a war hero who lost his adopted son in Viet Nam-and I’m a huge film aficionado and I’ve never heard speculation that Stewart was gay.
This post was edited on 8/17/26 at 6:44 pm
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