The Nationals honor baseball players turned citizen soldiers in Arlington tribute
The cherry blossoms are in bloom; glints of hope are still fresh in fans’ eyes; beer is flowing; hot dogs are being consumed at alarming rates— it’s baseball time. But amid the festivities is a tradition, now in its third year, that intersects America’s favorite pastime and military service. Ahead of Opening Day, Arlington National Cemetery placed official MLB baseballs — courtesy of the Nationals — on the gravesites of six men, all former baseball players turned citizen soldiers.
The baseballs were placed at the gravesites of: Luzerne “Lu” Blue: Blue , a D. C. native who rose to prominence under Ty Cobb’s Detroit Tigers.
The first baseman had his career briefly interrupted in 1918 when he was drafted into the U. S. Army, serving at Camp Lee in Virginia until war’s end.
Abner Doubleday : This Union general was among those who defended Fort Sumter during the 1861 bombardment, rose to fame for his gallantry at Gettysburg and — supposedly — invented baseball, writes Colleen Cheslak-Poulton for the American Battlefield Trust . While the claim is pure fabrication, it does make for an entertaining tale. William Eckert : Lt.
Gen. Eckert, who at the time of his commission was the youngest three-star in the United States Armed Forces, became baseball’s commissioner following the recommendation of Gen. Curtis “Bombs Away” LeMay.