Athletes-ARP

Athletes in the Vietnam War

Many professional US athletes participated in the Vietnam War as soldiers and celebrities. They gave support to other soldiers by participating in trips to Vietnam that helped raise their spirits and gave them hope to win the war. Other athletes, like Muhammad Ali, were drafted into the war and forced to participate, though Muhammad Ali did not. Instead, Ali was put in prison on charges against the military. In 1941, the USO has been sending athletes to visit the armed forces in Vietnam. The USO Camp Shows tours they participated in brought a touch of home to the brave man and women in our military and their families. In the National Football League, Commissioner Pete Rozelle sent players on “goodwill tours” to visit US troops. Four future Hall of Famers: Sam Huff, Johnny Unitas, Frank Gifford, and Willie Davis, were some of the first players to attend these shows. These players visited Vietnam for about three weeks while visiting remote firebases, aircraft carriers, and other installations in Vietnam, Guam, Thailand, and Japan. Cheerleading squads from the Dallas Cowboys, otherwise known as “America’s Sweethearts,” have participated in many USO trips to Vietnam and have entertained troops from abroad. Squad members from the Houston Oilers, Los Angeles Rams, and the Washington Redskins, have also attended these trips with retired and active players. Other famous players, including Don Meredith, Dick Butkus, Floyd Little, Jim Nance, and Gene Upshaw, have also raised the spirits of our troops on handshake tours of the South Pacific. In the National Basketball Association, its players have demonstrated their steadfast support for service members around the world. NBA All-Stars Gail Goodrich (Phoenix Suns), Lenny Wilkins (Seattle Supersonics), and Keith Erickson (Los Angeles Lakers), have visited wounded soldiers in Vietnam at military hospitals. These players met with service members, shot hoops, posed for photos, and showed films of their games. The Harlem Wizards, now the Harlem Globetrotters, also attended these tours while showing off their basketball skills for the troops. In Major League Baseball, professional players, including coaches and umpires, visited troops stationed in Vietnam with comedians. These players went to the most dangerous regions of combat activities to boost our troops morale. Vida Blue, Joe DiMaggio, Willie Stargell, Tug McGraw, and Reggie Jackson, also visited troop. By risking their lives, our troops morale and spirits were raised and gave them hope for the future. In Boxing, fighters like Floyd Patterson traveled to Vietnam where he shook hands with troops. Champion Boxer Sugar Ray Robinson with the USO to provide special phone calls for troops. Many other boxers did similar things like Robinson to boost our troop’s hope. Emile Griffith, Joe Torres, Paul Pender, Art Hernandez, and Jimmy Ellis, traveled to Vietnam while risking their lives to help the troops.