World War II Chronicle

World War II Chronicle: February 4, 1942

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Page three notes the passing of Maj. Gen. Joseph Henry Pendleton, the oldest surviving Marine Corps. Pendleton — yes, the namesake of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton — was commissioned a second lieutenant of Marines in 1884 after graduating from the Naval Academy and would spend nearly 20 years in overseas or expeditionary service during his career.

1st Lt. Pendleton (far right) at the Marine Barracks in Washington, D.C. in 1896.

War Dept. communique No. 91 is on page 4… Sports section begins on page 16, and briefly mentions middleweight boxing champion Tony Zale, who may be joining the Armed Forces. In fact he does join the Navy after a match this month against light-heavyweight Billy Conn, who nearly beat Joe Louis last June. Zale had three famous matches with Rocky Graziano after World War II (whose conduct was so terrible that Graziano was dishonorably discharged during a war) in which Zale defended, lost, and regained his title. Zale’s wife, Philomena “Frisco” Gianfrancisco, played outfield for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which will begin tryouts this summer…

The “Sunday school” team referred to on page 18 where the Cubs recruited a shortstop is the New Covenant Presbyterian Church’s team out of Louisville, Ky., where future hall-of-famers Pee Wee Reese and Billy Herman both played. Polston played a year in Level C, but a gap between 1942 and 45 indicate he, along with Reese and Herman, will serve in the war.


Evening star. (Washington, D.C.), 4 February 1942. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1942-02-04/ed-1/

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