Military News - Military Times

4 inducted into Marine sports Hall of Fame

QUANTICO, Va. — Two former All-Pro football players, a New York Yankee All-Star and an Olympic track and field medalist have been inducted into the Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame.

Edward W. LeBaron Jr., Henry A. Bauer, Joshua Culbreath and Ernest A. Stautner joined former Marines and sporting greats Ted Williams, Roberto Clemente and Lee Trevino as members of the seven-year-old shrine.

Commandant Gen. James Conway and Sgt. Maj. Carlton Kent, sergeant major of the Marine Corps, were on hand here for an induction ceremony Friday, and issued plaques, statues and hearty congratulations to the four inductees.

“A Marine makes a great athlete, but a great athlete makes a superb Marine, and I think we have some brilliant examples of that here,” Conway said during the ceremony.

Conway also announced that a permanent Hall of Fame would be built as a wing to the National Museum of the Marine Corps in nearby Triangle, Va.

LeBaron was a standout football player at California’s University of the Pacific and led the team to an undefeated season in 1949 as a quarterback, safety and punter before he was commissioned as a Marine officer in 1950.

At 5-foot-9 and 168 pounds, LeBaron was known for his shifty play and elusive running style.

Drafted by the Washington Redskins, he postponed his pro career to serve in the Korean War, where his actions earned him a Bronze Star. He returned to football in 1952 and was named the NFL Rookie of the Year after scoring 14 touchdowns for the Redskins during his first season.

He was named to the All-Pro team four times before he retired, and went on to serve as the general manager of the Atlanta Falcons. LeBaron now lives in California and is still involved in regional athletics.

Bauer enlisted in the Marine Corps shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and served in the South Pacific. During 32 months of combat, he earned two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts, and was sent home after receiving shrapnel wounds to his leg and back.

At 26, Bauer was called up from the minor leagues to play for the Bronx Bombers. He went on to hit 164 home runs while compiling a lifetime batting average of .277 and being named to three All-Star teams. Bauer died Feb. 9, 2007 at 84.

Culbreath served in the Corps for about two years from 1956 through 1958. During that period, he was one of the top hurdlers on the planet.

He captured several military and NATO track and field medals and took home a bronze medal in the 400-meter hurdles at the 1956 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

Culbreath went on to coach track and field worldwide and won 10 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics championships as the coach at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio. He now resides in Las Vegas.

Stautner served in the Corps for three years during World War II with combat action in Formosa and the Philippines. He went on to have a standout career at Boston College and became a perennial Pro Bowl lineman with the Pittsburgh Steelers, eventually making the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

After his induction in 1969, Stautner joined the Dallas Cowboys as an assistant coach, winning two Super bowls. He died on Feb. 16, 2006, at 80.

The Corps also named the athletes of the year for 2007 at the ceremony. Gunnery Sgt. Kenneth Young, who participates on the Armed Forces Cycling Team, and 2nd Lt. Justine Whipple, who is an Armed Force Triathlon team member, were honored for their accomplishments.