In honor of Veterans Day, ChicagoBears.com shares the story of former Bears quarterback Young Bussey, the only Bears player who was killed in action during World War II.
Since their inception as the Decatur Staleys in 1920, the Chicago Bears have boasted a strong, proud connection with the U.S. military.
It began with legendary founder George Halas, who joined the Navy for the first of two tours of duty after graduating from the University of Illinois in 1918 at the age of 22. He was named Player of the Game in the 1919 Rose Bowl, playing end on the Great Lakes team that blanked the Marines 17-0. A year later, Halas formed the Staleys and helped create what would become the National Football League.
Halas rejoined the Navy during World War II as Welfare and Recreation officer for the Seventh Fleet in the Pacific Ocean. A commander when he left active duty in 1946, Halas retired as a captain in the Naval Reserve and later was awarded the Distinguished Citizens Award — the highest honor the Navy can bestow on a civilian.
Ed McCaskey, the husband of Halas' daughter, Virginia, served in the Army during the war, winning a bronze star and combat infantry badge.
Soldier Field also has strong military connections. Plans for the stadium began in 1919 as a memorial to World War I soldiers. The stadium was later dedicated on Nov. 27, 1926 with Army battling Navy to a 21-21 tie.
Just inside the Ticketmaster Plaza at Soldier Field stands the restored Doughboy Statue, which was originally installed in Chicago's Garfield Park in the 1930s. After the statue was damaged in the 1970s, Chicago sculpture conservator Andrzej Dajnowski recast the missing parts and restored the statue and its base to their original condition.
More than 40 Bears players and members of the organization served in the Armed Forces during World War II, including Hall of Famers Danny Fortmann, Sid Luckman, George McAfee and Joe Stydahar. Luckman was stationed stateside and was permitted to travel on weekends to play in games for a while. But he was later assigned to a tanker carrying gasoline to Europe. During the Normandy invasion, Luckman was on a transport ferrying troops from Britain to France.
Only one Bears player paid the ultimate price during the war. Young Bussey, a backup quarterback who appeared in 10 games for the 1941 NFL champions, was killed at the battle of Lingayen Gulf in the Philippines on Jan. 7, 1945.
Bussey grew up in the Houston area and starred at LSU, leading the Tigers in rushing in 1937 and in passing in 1937 and '38. Selected by the Bears in the 20th round of the 1940 draft, he made his NFL debut in 1941, earning Pro Bowl honors in his only pro season after passing for 353 yards and five touchdowns.
As Luckman's backup, Bussey saw limited action in the Bears' regular-season finale, a 34-24 win over the Chicago Cardinals Dec. 7 at Comiskey Park. During the game, an announcement was made that Pearl Harbor had been attacked by Japanese bombers that morning.
The following summer, Bussey threw one touchdown pass in leading the Bears to a 21-0 win over the College All-Stars before a crowd of 101,103 spectators at Soldier Field. Shortly after that contest, he informed Halas that he was enlisting in the Naval Reserve.
Bussey reported to Officer Candidate School, attained the rank of lieutenant and was assigned to the USS Warren, an attack transport in the Pacific Theater. He received a commendation from Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, commander of the U.S. Fifth Fleet, for his actions as an assistant beachmaster during the Battle of Guam in 1944. Bussey participated in 10 amphibious assaults. He was then named Warren's head beachmaster for the Invasion of Lingayen Gulf in the Philippines.
Tragically, Bussey was killed in that battle on Jan. 7, 1945, when his landing craft took a direct hit from a Japanese mortar. He was just 27 years old.
Sharing Bussey's story
Joey Olivieri is a PhD candidate at the University of Virginia and creator of Salvaging History, a project dedicated to preserving the stories of Americans through original signatures and artifacts.
Olivieri located Bussey's signature in a San Jacinto High School yearbook from the 1930s when he attended the school in Houston. Olivieri made the discovery from his computer in Virginia while paging through the yearbook on the website of Whiting Books, a bookstore located in Fulshear, Texas.
As a fan of football and history, Olivieri frequently researches NFL players who served in the military.
"When I came across Young Bussey's story, I thought, 'wow, this is great,'" Olivieri told ChicagoBears.com. "I mean, the Chicago Bears have such a historic franchise that's tied to a strong military heritage with Halas himself serving.
"For me, it was a story of someone who gave up not only a career in the NFL but ultimately his life for our country. That tells you what kind of person he was and really what his values were. That was particularly meaningful and so I really wanted to share his story."
Below is an 'Honor Roll' of former Bears who have served in the military.
