Saying “Happy Memorial Day” has always felt a little off. While plenty of hourly workers get to enjoy time-and-a-half pay and others spend the day grilling, the day is set aside with a somber tone. Initially started as a way to remember the fallen Union soldiers as Decoration Day in 1868, it was changed to Memorial Day after WWI and officially adopted as a federal holiday in 1971.
Memorial Day is meant to be separate from Veterans Day, which is set aside for November 11. While Veterans Day is meant to recognize and celebrate active and former members of our various armed forces, Memorial Day is meant to recognize those who were not nearly as lucky. As is the case with most college football programs, Ohio State has a history of players leaving to serve in the war. Naturally, what comes to mind is World War II, where most able-bodied men went to serve, resulting in entire teams folding for a season or two to focus their efforts. For example, the SEC consisted of five teams in 1943.
The Buckeyes have had a few notable players to leave to serve, like three-time first-team All-American and College Football Hall of Famer, Chic Harley. There are two former Buckeyes who left to serve and never came home, however.
Memorial Day: Remembering Buckeyes Killed in Action
Fred Norton (1914-1917)
If you’re going to talk about what it means to be a Buckeye, Frederick Norton’s name has to come up. He was one of Ohio State’s greatest all-around athletes. In his time, Norton was a four-sport varsity letterman. In addition to football, Norton starred on the basketball, baseball, and track teams.
On the diamond, he hit .442 and was the team MVP as the Buckeyes’ shortstop in 1917. On the hardwood, Norton was a captain. However, on the gridiron, the five-foot-nine, 155-pound athlete was Harley’s lead blocker. In 1916, Norton and Harley led the Buckeyes to their first-ever Big Ten/Western Conference title as well as their first undefeated and untied season. Ohio State was the only unbeaten, untied team among the teams tied to a conference. Norton could also carry the ball well. He scored five times in the 128-0 beatdown of Oberlin and six times in the first half in the win over Indiana.
He enlisted in the Reserve Corps and became a PFC (Private First Class) at Ohio State’s school of military aeronautics. In 1918, he was deployed to fight Germany in France. Then, this time as a Lieutenant, Nortan led the 27th “Eagle” Pursuit Squadron. He earned the Distinguished Service Cross after leading several successful dogfights but was hit by two anti-aircraft rounds in his chest. Norton was able to land in Allied lands but succumbed to his injuries shortly thereafter. He was 23 years old.
One of his teammates, Harold “Hap” Courtney, also left to serve in WWI. He passed away from pneumonia while on the USS Louisville, carrying the American Expeditionary Forces to Europe. Courtney was a captain of the 1917 team and was an all-conference tackle. Courtney was the first of the Buckeyes killed in action.
Don Scott (1938-1940)
In his first season of eligibility (remember, freshmen were not eligible to play back then), Scott took over as the Buckeyes’ starting tailback. In his new role, Scott led Ohio State to a 4-3-1 record. Then, he switched to quarterback in 1939 and made a name for himself. Back then, Minnesota was the juggernaut, winning five national championships in eight seasons (1934-1941). Scott came in and led Ohio State to a 23-20 win in Minnesota with three touchdowns and two two-point conversions. The Buckeyes secured their first outright Big Ten championship in nearly two decades.
Scott earned first-team All-American honors in 1939. Not satisfied, he suited up for the Buckeyes’ basketball program. He Ohio State to the first-ever NCAA men’s basketball national championship, where it ultimately fell to Oregon.
In 1940, Ohio State lost a step, but Scott didn’t. He quarterbacked the 4-4 Buckeyes and became the first Ohio State quarterback to earn first-team All-American honors twice in his career.
His play earned him the ability to be drafted by the Chicago Bears ninth overall in the 1941 NFL Draft. Instead of continuing his football career, Scott served in the United States Air Force. He participated in a government-funded program called the Civilian Pilot Training Program before enlisting and used that training to fight for the United States in Europe.
He earned the rank of Captain and participated in nearly 10 bombing missions as a pilot in World War II. Unfortunately, he passed away after his B-25 crashed in England during training exercises. He was 23 years old.
Scott’s play on the field is remembered as one of the greatest Buckeye quarterbacks, and he is enshrined in the Ohio State Varsity O Hall of Fame. He’s the latest of the former Buckeyes killed in action.
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