Museum honors Negro League stars who served Some of black
baseball's all-time greats also took roles in U.S. armed forces
Explore U.S. history even a little and you will find story after
story of how black Americans have stepped forward and played
significant roles in times of crisis. From the Revolutionary War
to recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, blacks have put
their lives in jeopardy just as readily as their white
countrymen have. The historical literature is thick, of course,
with tales of the military exploits of white baseball Hall of
Famers like Hank Greenberg, Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams and Bob
Feller. In Feller's case, he left behind the prime years of his
pitching career with the Cleveland Indians to serve his country.
He never regretted it. Before he died in 2010, Feller had often
said his decision to enlist in the Navy for World War II was the
proudest moment of his life. "I could have stayed out of the
whole thing -- milked cows, planted corn, worked the farm or
played baseball," Feller s