Elmer Gedeon

Elmer John Gedeon (April 15, 1917 – April 20, 1944) was an American professional baseball player, appearing in several games for the Washington Senators in . Gedeon and Harry O'Neill were the only two Major League Baseball players killed during World War II. Gedeon was a star athlete at Cleveland's West High School, where he was a member of the class of 1935. He was a athlete who excelled in American football, baseball, and track and field. While ice skating in Brookside Park in Cleveland as a youth, the ice gave way and Gedeon's cousin plunged through up to his neck. The cousin later recalled: "Elmer slid across the ice on his belly and pulled me out." was Elmer's uncle, but this is unlikely—he may have been a more remote relative.

Gedeon's surname was common in Cleveland, because many people from Sudetenland, where it was common, settled in Cleveland. Gedeon's best sport was track and field, In March 1938, Gedeon tied the American indoor record in the high hurdles at the Big Ten meet in Chicago. He went on to tie a world record in the Illinois Relays, and then won the Big Ten title despite an injury. He also led Michigan to victory in the March 1939 Big Ten indoor track and field meet in Chicago. Michigan won both the Big Ten outdoor and indoor championships in 1938–1939. earning three varsity letters in football. In 1937, a feature article on the Michigan team noted that, in addition to his abilities as an end, "Gedeon can pass and punt, and can run faster than any one on the squad." In 1938, Gedeon played end in Coach Fritz Crisler's first season as Michigan's football coach. That was the year that Coach Crisler introduced the "winged football helmet" at Michigan. Team captain Fred Janke recalled Gedeon was "a tall, skinny guy", at and .

Professional baseball Gedeon signed with the Washington Senators after graduating in the summer of 1939. In mid-September, he was called up to the major leagues where he appeared in five games as an outfielder with three hits, one run and one RBI. His three hits came in a 10–9 win against the Cleveland Indians on September 19 as the starting centerfielder. In his five major league games, he played four games in center field and one in right field. returned to the minor leagues where he played for the Charlotte Hornets (in the Piedmont League) and hit .271 in 131 games. Gedeon crawled from the burning bomber, and despite burns and three broken ribs, he went back into the wreckage, rescuing a crewmate, Corporal John R. Rarrat, who had suffered a broken back and two broken legs. Two crew members died in the crash, Gedeon's cousin recalled: "The last time I saw him, he told me, 'I had my accident. It's going to be good flying from now on.' He said he had used up his bad luck." Gedeon was quoted in the article as saying "he hopes to pick up after the war where he left off." He added that "it's a matter of time." "If the war ends before I’m past the playing age I’ll return to the game. If I’m too old, I’ll do something else." His first mission was to attack an airfield at Beaumont-le-Roger, France, on March 23, 1944.

On April 20, 1944, Gedeon piloted one of 36 B-26 bombers which departed RAF Boreham in the late afternoon on a special mission to attack a V-1 "buzz bomb" site being constructed at Esquerdes, a village in the Pas-de-Calais near Saint-Omer. Led by Captain Darrell R. Lindsey, it was the group's thirteenth mission. Gedeon was initially reported as missing in action and it was not until May 1945 his family received word his grave had been located in a small British Army cemetery at Saint-Pol, France. Gedeon's remains were later returned to the United States and interred in Arlington National Cemetery, Section 34, Site 3047. Gedeon and Harry O'Neill were the only two players killed,

Gedeon was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor for track and baseball in 1983. He was the sixth Michigan athlete inducted for his contributions in multiple sports.

Awards and decorations