The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-04-18
B ARADE OF U. S.
STARS BOOMS
HAWAII SPORTS
~ CHARLES p. ARNor

UNITED Press Sta Correspondent
Honolulu, April 13-(UP)-Bobby
iggs played tennis yesterday,
nchnuy AEize Is due to belt a few
0nt Of the park today, and tomor-
EUW--cr Observation-Disclosures Spec
aal Delivery Jones will probbaly
rum FRO o couple Of touchdowns.
That's the way 1t Is in Honolulu
these days. The war has deluged
this staging base with more sports
celebrities than ever appeared uIl-
der Madison Square Gardens glar-
ing floodlights. At least the Homo
tulu Chamber Of Commerce says so.
So far the public hasn't seen
them all, but It's two-to-one that
most Of the big names win get into
action before the Army, Navy and
Marine Corps send them bcak to
The mainland in civilian garb.
This Is one place where the
Weatherman and the sports seasons
have nothing In common. They play
baseball In January, tennis and golf
the year around and basketball in
June and July-if the promoters 50
decide, and they generally do. Only
football seems to be restricted to
one seaSon-autuInn.
SeFVicemen Want Action
Add the convenient weather to
Thousands Of entertainments starved
Gervicemen, and you have the great
est sports boom in Hawaii'S history.
Estimating conservatively, it's a
million dollar . a year business.
Amateur boxing alone crossed near
~ 100000 last year. and even the
6urlesquing muSclemen pack the
city auditorium for their weekly
s9assleS."
Red Mcqueen, the well-nourished
sports editor of The Honolulu via
ton Of that old word versus that
gets the soldiers and sailors.
These guys came out here TO
light . war, and they're just spoil
ing for a fight" he explained.
while they're waiting their turn
70 get into action, they just love
70 see q battle-any kind Of a bat
ele."
The "blitz"-as they call the at
tack On Pearl Harbor out here
began for Red Mcqueen the morn
ing Of Dec. z, 1871, and has been
CATHERINE momentum ever since.
His modest fofice has become the
first stop for every serviceman who
pitched for batting practice in the
Glass D circuits and nearly every
broken down boxer who ever pulled
ON q glove. They haven't officially
announced their presence in Hawaii
until they've been to see Mr.. v.
Red Mcqueen.
Major League Roster
In . single day recently, his pa
Fade Of guests" she generously
calls, them, included such celebri-
ties 40 Comdr. Gene Tunney Of the
Navy and Marine 1t. Col. E. E.
eiSwede" Larson, former football
coach at Annapolis.
Bobby Feller hasn't appeared be-
more the local galleries to date, and
there is slight hope that he will
at least for a few months. Right
no wthe former Cleveland Indians
mound ace Is busy serving as a
chief petty officer abroad a battle
ship somewhere in the Pacific"
But the current roster of former
majOr-league stars makes up for
Feller'O absence. One of the recent
arrivals Is Seaman Johnny Mize,
former slugging first baseman for
the New York Giants and st. Louis
Cardinals. The local box scores also
list such stars as former Catcher
George Dickey OF the Chicago
White Sox, Catcher Marvin Field
erman Of the Chicago Cubs, Pitcher
Tom Ferrick of the Boston Red
Eox, Outfielder Joe Grace Of the
st. Louis Browns. Pitcher Jack
Hallet Of the Chicago White Sox,
Pitcher Bob Harris of the Red Sox,
1nf1elder John Lucabelle of the
Browns, Outfelder Barney Nc
Cosky Of the Detroit Tigers, and
pitcher Vern Olson of the Chicago
Cubs. All now perform for the
Navy.
Seaman Riggs, the national
champion, tops the tennis ranks,
and Special Delivery Jones, former
a1l-American at Pittsburgh, was
last seasons grid star for the It'll
Air Force, whose coach is Capt.
Charley Erb, quarterback on Cali
4ornia's wonder Teams" of 1920
70.
Grid Stars On Flattop
You can find former all-Ameri-
can football star on nearly any
ship in the Pacific feet, but one
aircraft carrier claims the record.
This fiattop's roster lists Comdr.
Tom Hamilton, one-time star and
coach at Annapolis; 1t. George
Sauer, all-American halfback at
Nebraska In 1888 mad later coach
ct New Hampshire; 1t. Doyle Nave,
who beat Duke in the Rose Bowl
with his eleventh-hour passes for
Southern California in 1899; 1t.
Larry Stevens, former all-Ameri-
can guard for use; 1t. Hold Proulx,
ex-USC halfback, and 1t. Vic Bot
tart, formerly California's great
halfback.
Hawaiis boxing patrons watch
Ho1my Forte of Baltimore, who
Oaace fought for the worlds ban
cartwright title, and a host of
lesser lights. Welterweight Champ
Red Cochrane, former Middle
weight Champion Ken Overlin and
George Abrams, middleweight con-