The Greatest N.D. Generation

[PJWhitfield]

"In 1943, quarterback Angelo Bertelli played only six games and then served in the Marines in World War II. He fought at Iwo Jima and Guam and won the Purple Heart and a Bronze Star."

You gotta love those World War II guys.

 

[NeuteredDoomer]

I met a man who was an ND student during those times. He never saw his team lose. Frank Leahy years.


And, unrelated but...Why the HELL are so many posters on this site from Cali?...Has caught my attention more than once...

 

[calvegas04]

from Cali, living in Vegas

 

[Riddickulous]

We had four Heismans in a ten year span: Bertelli, Lujack, Hart and Lattner.

 

[Shamrocks and Shenanigans]

We had four Heismans in a ten year span: Bertelli, Lujack, Hart and Lattner.

I saw Betelli's trophy last month, his grandson owns a store in Jersey. It is all done up with actual photos from the 40's. Really cool place.

 

[MirageSmack]

You are forgetting about one of the greatest ND / WWII stories out there. Mario Tonelli, who survived the Bataan death march. Here is an excerpt from the story linked below, it's an interesting read. On a side note, while Tonelli is fighting for the US, he meets a USC grad, who happens to be fighting for the Japanese. Go figure.

"Tonelli was reflecting on his relative mortality when approached by a guard plundering the possessions of the weary, sunburned prisoners. He demanded Tonelli's Notre Dame ring, and Tonelli refused. The guard reached for his sword. ''Give it to him,'' yelled a nearby prisoner. ''It's not worth dying for.'' Reluctantly, Tonelli surrendered the ring.

A few minutes later, a Japanese officer appeared.

''Did one of my men take something from you?'' he asked in perfect English. ''Yes,'' Tonelli replied. ''My school ring.''

''Here,'' said the officer, pressing the ring into Tonelli's callused, grimy hand. ''Hide it somewhere. You may not get it back next time.''

The act left Tonelli speechless. ''I was educated in America,'' the officer explained. ''At the University of Southern California. I know a little about the famous Notre Dame football team. In fact, I watched you beat USC in 1937. I know how much this ring means to you, so I wanted to get it back to you.''

The surreal encounter ended, and the gridiron and battlefield rivals headed their separate ways. ''I always thought that someday he'd try to look me up,'' Tonelli says. ''I guess he probably didn't make it through the war.''

Link
Tonelli

 

[IrishSteelhead]

You are forgetting about one of the greatest ND / WWII stories out there. Mario Tonelli, who survived the Bataan death march. Here is an excerpt from the story linked below, it's an interesting read. On a side note, while Tonelli is fighting for the US, he meets a USC grad, who happens to be fighting for the Japanese. Go figure.

"Tonelli was reflecting on his relative mortality when approached by a guard plundering the possessions of the weary, sunburned prisoners. He demanded Tonelli's Notre Dame ring, and Tonelli refused. The guard reached for his sword. ''Give it to him,'' yelled a nearby prisoner. ''It's not worth dying for.'' Reluctantly, Tonelli surrendered the ring.

A few minutes later, a Japanese officer appeared.

''Did one of my men take something from you?'' he asked in perfect English. ''Yes,'' Tonelli replied. ''My school ring.''

''Here,'' said the officer, pressing the ring into Tonelli's callused, grimy hand. ''Hide it somewhere. You may not get it back next time.''

The act left Tonelli speechless. ''I was educated in America,'' the officer explained. ''At the University of Southern California. I know a little about the famous Notre Dame football team. In fact, I watched you beat USC in 1937. I know how much this ring means to you, so I wanted to get it back to you.''

The surreal encounter ended, and the gridiron and battlefield rivals headed their separate ways. ''I always thought that someday he'd try to look me up,'' Tonelli says. ''I guess he probably didn't make it through the war.''

Link
Tonelli

Wow. That is truly an amazing story.

 

[rikkitikki08]

You are forgetting about one of the greatest ND / WWII stories out there. Mario Tonelli, who survived the Bataan death march. Here is an excerpt from the story linked below, it's an interesting read. On a side note, while Tonelli is fighting for the US, he meets a USC grad, who happens to be fighting for the Japanese. Go figure.

"Tonelli was reflecting on his relative mortality when approached by a guard plundering the possessions of the weary, sunburned prisoners. He demanded Tonelli's Notre Dame ring, and Tonelli refused. The guard reached for his sword. ''Give it to him,'' yelled a nearby prisoner. ''It's not worth dying for.'' Reluctantly, Tonelli surrendered the ring.

A few minutes later, a Japanese officer appeared.

''Did one of my men take something from you?'' he asked in perfect English. ''Yes,'' Tonelli replied. ''My school ring.''

''Here,'' said the officer, pressing the ring into Tonelli's callused, grimy hand. ''Hide it somewhere. You may not get it back next time.''

The act left Tonelli speechless. ''I was educated in America,'' the officer explained. ''At the University of Southern California. I know a little about the famous Notre Dame football team. In fact, I watched you beat USC in 1937. I know how much this ring means to you, so I wanted to get it back to you.''

The surreal encounter ended, and the gridiron and battlefield rivals headed their separate ways. ''I always thought that someday he'd try to look me up,'' Tonelli says. ''I guess he probably didn't make it through the war.''

Link
Tonelli

Unbelievable story...wow! What is this from?

 

[BGIF]

Unbelievable story...wow! What is this from?

An article written for USA Today by WWII writer/historian John Lukacs, ND Class of '99. MirageSmack posted a LINK at the bottom of the clip. The article also appeared in an ND publication. Lukacs has written books and articles on the war in the Pacific.

There's a great background article on Lukacs and Tonelli at the UM ND GameDay in '02.

Well worth the read.

John D. Lukacs, Author of Escape From Davao

 

[calvegas04]

So USC trained Japanese officers and Notre Dame had brave US soldiers graduate..... Sounds about right

 

[rikkitikki08]

An article written for USA Today by WWII writer/historian John Lukacs, ND Class of '99. MirageSmack posted a LINK at the bottom of the clip. The article also appeared in an ND publication. Lukacs has written books and articles on the war in the Pacific.

There's a great background article on Lukacs and Tonelli at the UM ND GameDay in '02.

Well worth the read.

John D. Lukacs, Author of Escape From Davao

Thanks! Just ordered the book off of barnes and nobles website