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3/13/2010
Ch 239B Uncle Gene Schmidt
Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks
Gene may have played some with the nationally ranked #2 team above during their 1943 run for the college National Championship. He mentioned them but I've only found fragments of documentation. Both the Seahawks and Notre Dame were undefeated going into what Hall of Fame Irish coach Frank Leahy at the time called the big gamest game (11/20/43) of his coaching career. The Irish came from behind to eke out the victory in the match up of titans. There had been a lot of national attention on the big game speculating on whether the college team could beat a team including professionals.
I think I have this right although details are a little sketchy. We shared several beers and stories in 2004 but my notes have since been discarded. I believe I recall the glee in his voice and the sparkle in his eye when he was telling me about the 1 point loss to ND in front of 45,000 screaming fans at South Bend, Indiana. Mom's scrap book of clippings might fill in some of the details. At any rate it's a great story.
They could have written a book about Iowa Pre Flight Seahawks in this interesting piece of American History and American War History, and they did. This book Football! Navy! War!: How military "Lend-Lease" players saved the college game and helped win World War II describes the program as part of the V Program. Top level talent in coaches and players were assembled for maximum utilization to both support the war and to keep college football sport alive. Many college all American and professional football players were brought in for classes and shared the football field at the University of Iowa at Iowa City. Gene, at the center position, was playing behind George Svendsen. Svendsen was an All-American from the University of Minnesota, Green Bay Packers, and on the NFL Hall of Fame all decade team of the 30's. Gene told me there was no way he was going to take away the big Swede's position. Another center there was All American and Professional player Vince Bononis who was among 1000 NFL-ers who served in WW2. Could not find much mention of Gene in the press reports as there were upwards of 70 players there as recruits were coming and going with wartime orders etc.
Until my searching effort (thanks Google-news), I had forgotten about this phase of Gene's life. I stumbled on to this first tidbit online in an Oct 19, 1943 Milwaukee Journal news account and then came to the realization that he may have played on one of the GREAT college football teams of that time. Campbell was later drafted by Greenbay . However, this Feb 1944 article notes there are two separate entities in the Boxing schedule for Wisconsin- Iowa Pre-Flight and Ottumwa NAS? This record shows only one game played by Ottumwa NAS, beating Iowa State 13-12 in 1943. Confirmation.
Pre-Flight Teams
1942 Pre Flight program began placing soldiers on campuses
1943 Seahawks tidbits 1943 Hear a description of the '43 Seahawks on this web page or is it '42
Pre-Flight Coaches
1942 Top notch Coaches 42 of the Pre Flights were: Bernie Bierman (one of most successful coaches in America at Minnesota), Forest Evashevski ('46 SU, Iowa), and Bud Wilkinson ('40 SU, Oklahoma).
Pre-Flight Players
1943 top notch players including from the professional national football leagues (Redskins and Bears,& Brooklyn). Iowa touted 6 pros.
1944 Marquette 3 centers strohmeyer,sprang, ramlow
Pre-Flight Games
1943 After the Notre Dame game legendary coach Frank Laehy called beating Iowa PF was the biggest game of his career.
1943 Top game Notre Dame came from behind to shade the Iowa Seahawks 14-13 to decide the national championship poll Nov 21, 1943 in front of 45,000 fans.
1943 NY Times reported Ohio State's first home opening loss since 1894
related links
Lt Allison - Pre-Flight at Iowa City, Primary Flight School Ottumwa NAS
Gene's brother George Schmidt died of a broken neck while playing in an Army intramural football game at Santa Anna (Army camp), California awaiting overseas orders in the Army Air Force in Nov, 1943. The Army did not allow for intercollegiate sport participation as part of the V Program. Believe he was in that program as a cadet having gone through AAF training Sheppard Field, TX July 43 and Denver University just prior. May have been a navigator. Brother Dick had just gotten his commission to Lieutenant from OCS Camp Abilene, Barkley, TX in the Army after 2 yrs infantry.
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