Robinson played for ten years, and during that time he played in six World Series including the Dodgers’ 1955 World Series Championship. He was selected to six All Star games, he was Rookie of the Year in 1947, and he was the National League Most Valuable Player in 1949. Robinson was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.
Before all that, though, Robinson was drafted into the US Army Calvary in 1942, and stationed in Fort Riley, Kansas. In 1943, Robinson was commissioned as a second lieutenant and a recent graduate of the Officer Candidate School. He was then reassigned to Fort Hood, Texas, where he became part of the 761st Black Panthers Tank Battalion.
Robinson got into some trouble in 1944. Allegations were made that he had ridden on a segregated bus, and insubordination charges were leveled against Robinson after the incident. He was actually charged and faced court-martial in 1944, but eventually the charges against him were reduced and he was transferred to Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky, where he served as a coach in army athletics until he was honorably discharged in November, 1944. He then went on to play ball for the Kansas City Monarchs before being discovered and signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers.
We hope you have enjoyed this series about some of the great professional athletes who served during World War 2. Next week we will treat you to some more interesting facts and stories about the brave men who served during that war. In the meantime, we invite you to try the free two week download of Aces High. If you have never tried a combat flight simulator, then Aces High is the place for you to start. There you will experience the thrills of battle from the safety of your living room. There you will compete with the best flight sim players in the world. There you will have a blast.
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