On Military Day, Bednarik Recalls Dodging Flak
The Philadelphia Daily News - Eagletarian
On Military Day, Bednarik Recalls Dodging Flak
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
BETHLEHEM -- They filed past the tall, gaunt old man in single file, most of the soldiers looking past him to the practice field ahead, where their clean, crisp uniforms were about to mingle with the muddy practice uniforms of the Eagles on Military Day at training camp.
Every now and then, though, there was one who knew who the old man was, who would stop with an item to sign and a fervent wish to express, that the players of today were more like the white-haired fellow in the Pro Football Hall of Fame polo shirt, squinting through wire-rimmed glasses.
"I wish I was old enough to remember you playing," one said. "I have a big, giant picture in my house of you laying out Frank Gifford. Could you sign my jersey?"
At 86, Chuck Bednarik was happy to be recognized, and didn't seem to mind when he wasn't. As the 250 fresh-faced military personnel, from every branch, filed past, he remembered the 30 missions he flew as a waistgunner in a B-24 bomber, over France and Germany. None of the soldiers at Lehigh today had any idea about that, or if they did, they didn't say so.
"You could hear the flak coming through" the open gun portal as you fired, Bednarik remembered. "You'd wonder how the heck it missed you."
The artillery missed Bednarik but it didn't always miss the plane.
"We crash-landed a number of times," he said. "Flat tires. Yeah, I'm lucky to be talkin' to ya. When I flew my last mission, I kissed the ground and looked up at the sky and said, 'I don't ever want to fly again!' I do (fly), but nobody's shooting at me."
Bednarik was based about 10 miles off the English Channel, he said. "The night before you were gonna go, you didn't sleep. Wakeup would be 5:30, breakfast at 6:30, takeoff at 7:30," Bednarik said. "If we went deep into Germany, roundtrip was about seven hours. When we went into France, it wasn't that bad."
After all that, there wasn't much to find intimidating about football at Penn, or in the NFL. Even playing both ways, as Bednarik famously did en route to making the All-Pro team eight times, couldn't have been as grueling as those 30 bombing missions.
***
People close to "Concrete Charlie" are raising money to build a Bednarik statue. You can check out that effort on www.chuckbednarikstatue.com.
Phillies have actually won World Series and have high character players the fans love such as Utley, JRoll, Lee, Halladay, Howard and Raul and Chooch.
The Eagles have NEVER won a Super Bowl, and now Lurie is selling his soul by hiring low life losers and convicts like Vick and Young that are the face of the Eagles.
Shame on Jeffrey Lurie for selling his soul....and for throwing away millions of long time Eagle fans that will not root for the Eagles until these thugs and convicts are no longer the face of the Eagles.
— frank105- how about you try to stay within a mile or so of the topic of the article?
ok?
thanks.
bye.— ekw555 - Poor Frank what a bitter hateful perfect person he seems to think he is. Who is a thug Frank? Sounds like you have some racial issues. I read this paper and it said the Eagles sold out of single game tickets in less than 1 hour for 2011. So please stop fronting you could not afford to buy tickets anyways. Must suck to be you. — Blessed8251
From 30 bombing missions to taking out Gifford, Charlie's a true hero.— phillychaos- Seems like Concrete Charlie should have had a movie made about him years ago. What a life he has led. Doesn't Lurie have Hollywood connections?— tpizza
- how about we not use this as a soapbox for your disdain for current players and pay respects to combat vets that did both, were exceptional men and players— xlGmanlx
- Concrete Charlie, met him in the '70s at a barbecue in Coopersburg - no fanfare just a firm handshake and an exchange with my dad, just another a WWII vet who'd played linebacker and center like Chuck, for Rutgers in the late '30s.
I remember him on Vermeil's sidelines - brought in to recall the man's character and greatness to those teams.
Glad to see him so well.— robinlupe - Charlie used to come into my hoagie shop in Roslyn many years ago. Talked a little football.... satisfied his gullet. great guy— stoky
- good to see Concrete Charlie still around...the country has prospered because of men like him— Frank_Drebin
- well said xlg, thanks for being an Eagle Chuck!
Mr. Bednarik bless you and all our veterans for fighting for our freedom. We can never thank them enough for their sacrifice.— willbert31 - Frank105-Why you take the opportunity to blast Mike and Vince over some dude that played 100 years ago when the game was played by slow motion stiffs. The game now is all about speed, there is no place anymore for slow moving players of days gone by. Get yourself up to date. The Brady and Mannings are yesterday QBs, its now about fast QBs that run and throw.— Tyrone7
- You mean like Rodgers and Brees? The last two QBs to win Super Bowls? — phillychaos
- b"h
In 1960 i was a 9 year old boy, and went to "the" nfl championship game with my dad and my older brother. It had snowed earlier in the week, and snow was piled up all around the field. It was cold.
One of my favorite memories of that game was the last play, when Concrete Charlie tackled Jimmy Taylor as the Packers were driving for what would have been the winning touchdown. Bednarik sat on him until the clock ran out. When the clock was down to zero (remember they had a dial type of clock in Franklin Field), Chuck Bednarik reached down, and gentlemanly pulled Taylor up off the ground.
The "hit" on Frank Gifford the next season was a thing of beauty. Giants fans still feels Chuck danced over him because of the hit, but we all know it was because the Birds recovered the ensuing fumble. Gifford was never the same after that.
Chuck Bednarik, you are "THE MAN." The last of the 60 minutes guys. It was a privlege to watch you play.
I hope I live long enough to see my Iggles finally win a Super Bowl. It will be as sweet a sports experience as we've ever had in Philadelphia.— kaballah99 - Te hit on Gifford occurred in 1960, not the next season. I can still remember watching it as an eleven year old. I also hope to be around for the next Eagles NFL championship.
God bless Concrete Charlie.— bj94109 - He is a bitter and mean old man....but I love the image of him standing over Gifford. Legendary....— kelprod2
