ben schwartzwalder military
The Syracuse 8 continued their boycott through the 1969 football season. 2023 Syracuse University. library.syr.edu, Copyright Syracuse University Libraries, A Courageous Stand: The Story of the Syracuse 8, Trustee, Faculty, and Student Committee Report. "He was like a magnet to good things, always; polite, smart, a real personality," Whelan said. However, his plane was seriously off course and dropped its "stick" of twelve paratroopers some ten miles away from its designated landing zone. He was personally decorated by the commander of the 82nd, the legendary General Matthew Ridgeway, who recalled saying to Ben I never expected to see you here to receive this award.. During practices a limit was placed on the number of black players who could be on the field at the same time. Even if you go to Syracuse now, there is a constant battle that goes on. He rose to the rank of major and in the process picked up the Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart, four battle stars and a Presidential Unit Citation. I'm guessing it's after beating WVU to claim the Schwartzwalder Trophy. During his 25 years as head coach Syracuse teams outrushed their opponents by more than 22,000 yards. Ruth Simpson Reggie Schwartzwalder, 100, of Syracuse, died peacefully and surrounded by her family on August 25, 2012, at Crouse Hospital. The trophy was established in 1993, the year Schwartzwalder died, and was sculpted by Syracuse sports hall-of-famer Jim Ridlon. During the war, Schwartzwalder was a military hero, a paratrooper, part of the D-Day invasion in June 1944 fighting behind enemy lines. Allen explained his position, but the coach refused to listen. Gary Fleder: You faced the exact same thing. A i turned . And there was always the female situation -- dont date white girls and you have to play better than anybody else. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. The military also named Schwartzwalder governor of Essen, Germany, for about six months following the fall of Nazi Germany. Intro: American football player and coach: Was: Sports coach American football player: From: United States of America: Field: Sports: Gender: male: Birth: 2 June 1909: Death: 28 April 1993 (aged 83 years) He produced 22 straight years of non-losing football, took the Orange to seven bowls, and won the national championship in 1959. Later that afternoon, a beaming Davis, seeing Syracuse coach Ben Schwartzwalder, went floating toward him through a. Coach Schwartzwalder led the SU team to an impressive record of 153 wins, 91 losses, and 3 ties, including seven bowl games, and the only National Championship in SUs history (1959 undefeated team). Schwartzwalder was a West Virginia graduate. About Ben Schwartzwalder is a member of the following lists: 1993 deaths , American military personnel of World War II and United States Army officers . The coach is also remembered through the Ben Schwartzwalder Trophy which, goes to the winner of each game between West Virginia University (where he had played as a college student) and Syracuse University. He was like a Marine, with a real army attitude. Meanwhile, up in central New York, Syracuse was struggling for survival. A new head coach, Floyd "Ben" Schwartzwalder, would take over in 1949. During his 25 years as head coach Syracuse teams outrushed their opponents by more than 22,000 yards. He was awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, four battle stars, Presidential Unit Citation and was promoted to the rank of Major for his actions during the invasion. After holding off the vastly superior German forc es for four days, the senior officer in command ordered the paratroopers to withdraw under the cover of darkness and attempt to reach Allied lines by exfilling in small bands through the flooded marshes and swollen streams. A report on Ben Schwartzwalder. Before the summer of 1970, Coach Schwartzwalder agreed but failed to hire a Black assistant coach more than once. He played key roles in the capture of the La Fire Causeway and Sainte-Mre-glise, crucial points of entry into France during the D-Day invasion. But what was Coach Ben like? Their demand was based on their awareness of how their academic potential exceeded the universitys expectations. Schwartzwalder, 61 years old, has been head coach since 1949. Dropped far behind enemy lines and miles off target, Ben, a Captain in Company G of the 507th, organized his men, established command, and a week later delivered a large group of prisoners to the Allied lines. When their request was not met, Greg Allen, Richard Bulls, John Godbolt, Robin Griffin (who only boycotted in the spring), Dana D.J. Harrell, John Lobon, Clarence Bucky McGill, A. Alif Muhammad (then known as Al Newton), and Duane Walker began their boycott of spring football practice. I am not sure the assistant coach had the facts correct. In 1941, Ben found himself a 33 year old high school football coach, working in Canton, Ohio, on the day that the Japanese attached Pearl Harbor. They basically tried to take all my self-esteem away. He coached the first African-American to win a Heisman Trophy and maintained team unity and cohesiveness in a racially charged environment to defeat the all-white Texas Longhorns in the 1960 Cotton Bowl Classic and win a national championship. The Orange had won but nine games in four years and everyone was unhappy. You should know his story. This month marks 50 years since the Syracuse 8 began their peaceful protest. Ben gave Syracuse its finest hours in football. Syracuse University Football Recruiting Database, Syracuse Men's Basketball Recruiting Database, La Fire Bridge: The D-Day Battle You Should Have Heard Of. But in real life, there are people -- white people -- who have done wonderful things because they were just good human beings. A small donation would help us keep this available to all. Schwartzwalder continued his campaign all the way into Germany and acted as military governor of the town of Essen for a period of six months. He also wrestled and dodged a young coed who was just as fierce a competitor as he when it came to getting her man. As Dolan approached from the north, Captain Ben Schwartzwalder led more than 40 men of the 507th to the south side of the Manoir, where he was also stopped by machine-gun fire. He was 80 then and hit every drive down the middle. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. He graduated from Syracuse University in January 1966 with a bachelor's degree in Economics. And that was the first time I ever felt like an alumni. What did Disney actually lose from its Florida battle with DeSantis? You know, the funny thing about cinema is, usually when they do a story that has African Americans in it, there always has to be a white guy whos the savior. He wore street clothes at the alumni game, serving as an honorary coach. "Ernie knew everybody's name and went out of his way to say hello. Heres a clip from a recent Bob Costas interview talking with Brown about Ernie Davis: Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Newsom, IRS give Californians until October to file tax returns, 15 arrested across L.A. County in crackdown on fraudulent benefit cards, Hidden, illegal casinos are booming in L.A., with organized crime reaping big profits, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles. Played golf in an SU golf outing at Drrumliuns years back with Ben and an offensive lineman on the championship team (Yeager??). His wife Ruth "Reggie" Schwartzwalder died on August 25, 2012, aged 100. He was awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart . After the war, Ben came back to coaching, and eventually found his way to Syracuse University. In "The Express," Schwartzwalder (Dennis Quaid) is initially depicted as reluctant to recruit Davis (Rob Brown) because he's "too old to butt heads with another Jim Brown," one of the first black. Allen explained his position, but the coach refused to listen. Syracuse, NY -- Syracuse football players all heard first-hand stories of hand-to-hand combat involving the head coach of the Orangemen, Floyd "Ben" Schwartzwalder, from his service as a paratrooper in World War II. "I see a lot of things that never were done to Ernie but maybe happened to [Syracuse great] Jim Brown (in the 1950s). But there was to be a delay. As a first lieutenant and S-1/adjutant of the 3rd Battalion, 507th PIR, he jumped into Normandy in the same air drop as Coach Ben. Parkersburg. A good starting place is his home state of West Virginia. The funny part is that so many people have known this for years, including myself.". Finally he called Brown, who lives here in L.A., and set up a meeting. map this locationGoogle map location All rights reserved (About Us). He coached at Syracuse from 1949 to 1973, compiling a 178-96-3 record, and winning one national championship in 1959 while going undefeated. And enthusiasm!! Syracuse University did not strip the players of their scholarships, but. At Syracuse, I was the radical and Ernie was the peacemaker, the guy everyone loved. However, Ed Wagner's group overlooked the main route of advance for the German armored forces racing to reinforce the town of Carentan. This remains Syracuse's only national football title in football to date. Richard Winters (played by Damian Lewis), who also received a battlefield promotion to major and was also from West Virginia, like Ol' Ben. "Ed Wagner, Class of '41, is the namesake of the ROTC Building at Penn State. He was bowlegged, sent off to military school and told his IQ was too low to even consider college. Forego a bottle of soda and donate its cost to us for the information you just learned, and feel good about helping to make it available to everyone. An ad blocker has likely prevented this video content from loading. What did Jim Brown say that made such a difference? But its also a great drama about how both the athletes and coaches of that era were profoundly transformed by the civil rights movement, which initially had a far greater impact on society than on the football field. His report card shows 178 wins, 96 losses and three ties during his 28-year tenure as a head coach (three years at Muhlenberg, 25 at Syracuse). Syracuse University Photo & Imaging Collection, University Archives. No. In addition to Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis, he coached Jim Brown, Floyd Little, Jim Nance, and Larry Csonka through their college careers. You should know his story, because it's a Syracuse University story - one that speaks to our past, our present, and our future. You should know his story. He coached the 507th PIR football team, leading them through a ten-game season in which the 507th was never defeated and never even scored upon. Ben Schwartzwalder. It may not display this or other websites correctly. When Ben recruited Larry, he did all that and also drove Larry out to the beautiful Central NY countryside and showed him where he could hunt and fish. He was also a military veteran. The trophy was established in 1993 and was sculpted by Syracuse sports hall-of-famer Jim Ridlon. Schwartzwalder had a significant history of recruiting and developing black players during the 1950s and 1960s when many other major programs refused to do so. In "The Express," Schwartzwalder (Dennis Quaid) is initially depicted as reluctant to recruit Davis (Rob Brown) because he's "too old to butt heads with another Jim Brown," one of the first black athletes to openly defy American racism. He thought the first script was a little thin. I wasnt crazy about the original script, Fleder told me over lunch recently. The rest is now history. He organized an athletic league from among the soldiers being assembled in England in preparation for D-Day in order to keep the troops motivated and fit. They identify him as later coaching Syracuse University to the national championship in 1959. This remains Syracuse's only football national championship to date. For his actions during the invasion, Ben was awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, four battle stars, the Presidential Unit Citation, and was promoted to the rank of Major. serving during World War II, Ben Schwartzwalder returned home and began coaching college football; and WHEREAS, In 1949, the couple moved to Syracuse, New York, and Ben Schwartzwalder began his long and distinguished coaching career with the football team at Syracuse University; and Schwartzwalder's teams went to seven bowl games and won four Lambert Trophies. The school? Ben enrolled at West Virginia University and went out for football. It was a scene he had repeated several hundred times but on this particular day, November 24, 1973, it was different. He rose to the rank of major and was awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, four battle stars, and a Presidential Unit citation. I remember all I was thinking was, Great, hes not gonna kill me. After it was over, Jim said, You got it right. That was the best compliment a filmmaker could ask for. They got a long-name coach. And while maybe the alumni didnt get the big name coach, Floyd Burdette Ben Schwartzwalder gave SU its finest hours in football, becoming the most successful football coach in the Universitys history. He was awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, four battle stars, Presidential Unit Citation and was promoted to the rank of Major for his actions during the invasion. By the time he was in college, it was apparent that he wasn't going to weigh much more than 150 and grow taller than 5-9. Gary Fleders The Express, which hits theaters next month, is really two compelling movies in one. Dropped far behind enemy lines and miles off target, Ben organized his command immediately and a week later brought a bunch of prisoners to the Allied lines. "We football coaches are most fortunate," Ben said as he left office as the president of the American Football Coaches Association. Jim Brown: If you deal with the times, you have a pretty gritty story. On April 17, 1970, Black members of the football team sent Chancellor John Corbally a letter asking that he address their grievances within two days. He was a member of the 1964 Sugar Bowl team. Several units were simultaneously converging on the same objective in a piecemeal, uncoordinated manner. [continued on next page] Pages: 1 2 3 4 Corbally and Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Jim Carleton met with the boycotting players that spring and committed to hiring a Black assistant football coach before fall practice. BEN SCHWARTZWALDER (1909-93) The game ended and Ben Schwartzwalder walked to the middle of the field, shook hands, exchanged a few words with his opposing coach, then turned and headed toward the dressing room. Its also a genuine comeback for Fleder, who hasnt made a feature in five years (hes been directing TV pilots), and he finally seems poised to recapture the promise of his early career work on such films as Things To Do in Denver When Youre Dead and Kiss the Girls. Before Fleder began work on the film, he knew he had to have one key figure on board -- Jim Brown, who was a star running back at Syracuse in the 1950s, helped recruit Davis (after Brown left to play in the NFL) and later become an action film star and civil rights activist. In 1967, Schwartzwalder was elected president of the American Football Coaches Association. The Story of the Syracuse 8, The Players Tribune, October 25, 2015, https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/syracuse-football-1960s-race-civil-rights; WBUR. Lots of midgets. Did you feel the constant pressure or did you acclimate to it? In 1959, he also won the national coach of the year award. "He would never in a million years talk to Ben Schwartzwalder like that," Easterly said. He was like a Marine, with a real army attitude. Fleder didnt simply want Browns take on Davis; he wanted to hear what the former football star thought of Ben Schwartzwalder, the legendary Syracuse coach who wasnt so enthralled by the civil rights fervor that was starting to sweep the nation. (Courtesy Syracuse University Press) "So he looks me in the eye, and he said, 'Well then, you have a decision to make. How does one describe Ben Schwartzwalder? Jim Brown. Notably, he coached the first African-American to win a Heisman trophy and maintained team unity and cohesiveness in a racially charged environment to defeat the all-white University of Texas team in the Cotton Bowl while winning the 1959 national championship. As a captain in the 82nd Airborne (CO of Company G of the 507th), Schwartzwalder earned distinction during the invasion of Normandy and battles that followed in the last days of the war. Please disable your ad blocker to view the video content. Following his death in 1993, Schwartzwalder was survived by his daughters, Susan Walker and Mary Scofield, his wife Ruth "Reggie" Schwartzwalder died on August 25, 2012, aged 100. Ben Schwartzwalder was a decent guy, but he was from another era. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Youre always having to think of what youre going to say, what youre going to do, where you can go and where you cant. The priest, his friar and two elderly women who had been caring for the wounded in the local church, a structure dating back to the 12th Century, were summarily shot, and the village then set aflame. During the spring season, the players attempted to nudge coach Schwartzwalder one more time. Ben passed away in 1993 and is buried in the Onondaga County Veterans Memorial Cemetery. "By doing the best we can do with the job we have, wherever it is, we can serve our nation in its greatest task.". It doesnt break down in gender. Gary Fleder: Did you feel it from the players? Ernie Davis was only weeks from dying the last time Dick Easterly saw his Heisman Trophy-winning teammate. You can't be Black and be a . Biography Lists News Also Viewed. Thats the reason I recruited Ernie, because he was a great, great player and it was starting to change. Syracuse 8: Tom Smith, Walker, Muhammad, McGill, Lobon, Harrell, Allen, and Godbolt, Spring 1969. What is a filmmaker looking for when hes researching a film based on real-life events? National Veterans Resource Center | Daniel & Gayle DAniello Building | 101 Waverly Ave, Syracuse, NY 13244. They boycotted knowing that their actions threatened their scholarships as well as potential careers in professional football. Mostly, we remember Floyd "Ben" Schwartzwalder as Syracuse University's successful head football coach, 1949 to 1973. Schwartzwalder played center at West Virginia University, despite weighing only 146 pounds, and was an all-campus wrestler in 1930 in the 155 pound weight class. For his actions during the invasion, Ben was awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, four battle stars, the Presidential Unit Citation, and was promoted to the rank of Major. Floyd Benjamin Ben Schwartzwalder was for 25 years a teacher, a mentor, and a coach at Syracuse University. New York had the highest population of Schwartzwalder families in 1880. This little-known episode of brutality has been documented by the History Channel in a video titled, "Secret Massacre at D-Day". [1] He coached high school football for six years in West Virginia a year at Sistersville High School, followed by the Parkersburg High School Big Reds football from 1936 to 1940[1] and Ohio a year at Canton McKinley High School[1] and won two state championships. 1 overall by the Cleveland Browns, Davis was diagnosed with leukemia. Adversity and Ben were old combatants and Ben usually won. Former Syracuse head coach Floyd "Ben" Schwartzwalder (center with his arm around SU's Ger Schwedes, 16) was no stranger to a good fight including this one involving the Orange and Texas. I know it well. He was personally decorated by Matthew Ridgeway who recalled Ben well. Lindquist was coming in from the east, and Levy was ensconced in a graveyard across the river at Cauquigny. The 1959 team was an unprecedented powerhouse with both the toughest offense (313.6 yards rushing, 451.5 yard total and 39 points per game on average) and the toughest defense (giving only 19.3 yards rushing, 96.2 yards total per game on average) in the country. An hour before the game, Al Davis stands at the 50-yard line of the silent Coliseum, surveying the field through his sunglasses darkly, as . Qualities missing from Davis' portrayal in "The Express," opening Friday. He is part of Syracuse University history, and a veteran of the U.S. military. Burials may be scheduled by calling the cemetery staff at (315) 484-1564. Schwartzwalder had a significant history of recruiting and developing black players during the 1950s and 1960s when many other major programs refused to do so. During the D-Day invasion in 1944, Schwartzwalder parachuted into Normandy and was wounded. Today Ed is buried with many of his fallen comrades from the 507th PIR in the beautiful US Military Cemetery, which overlooks Omaha Beach in Normandy. He overcame those . He became a company commander and earned the rank of major. A call for help went out and in the end it was that man who was to win more games than Knute Rockne, Frank Leahy, Bud Wilkinson or Earl Blaik that answered. He was personally decorated by the commander of the 82nd, the legendary General Matthew Ridgeway, who recalled saying to Ben I never expected to see you here to receive this award.. Years after Davis' death, Syracuse coach Ben Schwartzwalder called him "the best kid I ever had anything to do with." "Ernie was just like a puppy dog, friendly and warm and kind," he told. Jim was very quiet in the early part of the film, Fleder recalls. Significance: The Ben . The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. He said, You have to realize, in the civil rights movement, there had to be radicals and peacemakers, radicals like Malcolm X and peacemakers like Martin Luther King. In 1946, Ben came east and guided Muhlenberg to a 25-5 slate in three years.
