7 professional athletes who also served in the military
By: Military Times staff  
Professional athletes are viewed as heroes both on and off the field. Some throughout history, however, have responded to a higher calling: U.S. military service. A number of athletes throughout various conflicts were either drafted or volunteered to serve in the midst of their careers, while others honed their talents during their service. In honor of Veterans Month, these are the stories of seven famous athletes who also hold the title of “veteran.â€
Jackie Robinson
Brooklyn Dodger Jackie Robinson is famous for many things: Winning Rookie of the Year, being the first African American major league baseball player, and being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1962. But he was also drafted to serve in a segregated Army cavalry unit in 1942. He became one of the first black service members to go through Officer Candidate School and set to join the 761st “Black Panthers†Tank Battalion. A race-related skirmish on what was supposed to be a desegregated bus led to a court-martial that negatively turned the tide for Robinson’s military career and instead landed him in the role of Army athletics coach before he was honorably discharged in 1944. He then played in the Negro League from 1945 until 1947 when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers and played in six World Series throughout his career.
https://www.militarytimes.com/military-honor/salute-veterans/2019/11/03/7-professional-athletes-who-also-served-in-the-military/
