‘That’s a winner’ - Jack Buck, former St. Louis Cardinals announcer, wounded in combat in WWII

Unable to enlist in the U.S. Navy because of colorblindness, Jack Buck was later drafted into the U.S. Army. During World War II, he served stateside as an anti-aircraft artillery instructor and was later wounded in Germany while serving with the 9th Infantry Division. Courtesy of Beverly Buck Brennan

Many retain fond memories of the unparalleled talents of a sportscaster who became a household name announcing Major League Baseball games for the St. Louis Cardinals—the late Jack Buck. But like scores of young individuals growing into adulthood in the closing years of the Great Depression, a lesser-known aspect of his life was the combat service he experienced during World War II that resulted in injuries he carried for years.
 
A 19-year-old Buck had achieved the zenith of physical conditioning while working such positions as porter, cook and deckhand employed aboard freighter ships that operated on and around the Great Lakes. This physicality would soon serve him well after he was drafted into the U.S. Army in June 1943.
 
“He had wanted to go into the Navy, but he was colorblind,” said his son, Jack Buck, Jr.
 
He was soon transferred to Fort Eustis, Virginia, which was operating as a Coast Artillery Replacement Center. It not only served as the site where the young draftee received his basic training, but he became one of 20,000 troops who received instruction in anti-aircraft artillery there during the course of the war.
 
According to an article by Kristen Lokemoen for the Society for Baseball Research, Buck “stayed (at Ft. Eustis) as an instructor and was promoted to corporal.” The article further noted that Buck later remarked that his selection as an instructor “was because of my voice, and I was really good at close-order drill. You could hear me all over the area.”

His performance as an instructor earned him transfer to Camp Stewart, Georgia, which had also been established as an ant-aircraft artillery training center during the war. It was here that the soldier remained until receiving notice of his deployment to Europe to help bulk up troop strengths as the allies pushed toward Germany.
 
In 1943, he boarded the Mauretania—an English troop ship that had undergone a expedited conversion to troop transport—and traveled to Liverpool, England. Soon, Buck was assigned to Company K, 47th Infantry Regiment of the 9th Infantry Division and engaged in combat operations.
 
On March 7, 1945, during the Battle of the Remagen Bridgehead in Germany, Buck became one of the 9th Infantry Division soldiers to assist in the daring capture of one of the last bridges still standing across the Rhine River. Leading a patrol that came under fire, Buck suffered shrapnel wounds to his left arm and leg.
 
“Company K's only combat medic was Frank Borghi, who administered first-aid that saved my father’s arm from having to be amputated,” said Beverly Buck Brennan, eldest child of the late veteran. “Years later, dad was talking to Borghi and figured out, through time and location of their service, that it had been Borghi that treated him on that day,” she added.
 
Intriguingly, Buck later discovered that Borghi was from the historic Italian district of St. Louis known as the Hill. Five years after the end of the war, Borghi became the goalie for the underdog U.S. soccer team that won the 1950 FIFA World Cup match against England, a feat chronicled in the 2005 film “The Game of Their Lives.”
 
Buck was eventually placed on a train and transferred to a military hospital in France for additional treatment. Later presented a Purple Heart for his wounds, the combat veteran was encouraged to remain in the Army and become an officer through Officer Candidate School. Instead, he chose to return to the states to pursue his dream of becoming a broadcaster
 
The GI Bill he had earned though his service helped make his dream become a reality since he used the benefits to attend Ohio State and major in broadcast journalism. In 1954, the Buck family moved to the Hill in St. Louis, living a few houses from the childhood homes of Joe Garagiola and Yogi Berra.
 
“If dad lifted up his arm, you could see where he had a discernible long scar from his combat injury,” recalled Jack Buck Jr. “If someone were to touch him there, it would cause him to wince in pain. But he was very functional with it in later years, and eventually was able to play softball and golf.”
 
Buck’s broadcasting career with Major League Baseball brought him a great level of notoriety and is often recognized for his trademark phrase, “That’s a winner!”
 
However, because of his service in World War II, he remained a dedicated advocate for those who chose a public service profession. On many occasions, he penned poems and short stories dedicated to patriotism and highlighting events such as the 9-11 attacks and his visit to the beaches of Normandy.
 
“If he had a day or morning off, there were times when he would get up and drive to the veterans’ hospital to visit with some of the veterans who were patients there,” said Jack Buck Jr. “He also supported organizations involving the police and firefighters.”
 
Beverly Buck Brennan added, “My father had been in foxholes when friends were injured and killed. I really believe that speaking about World War II with other veterans was really therapeutic for him.”
 
She added, “My dad was many things - husband, father, journalist and sports fan. But I believe that in his mind, he was always a Soldier first."
      
John “Jack” Francis Buck passed away on June 18, 2002. The 77-year-old U.S. Army veteran was laid to rest with full military honors in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.    
 
  Jeremy P. Ämick is the author of the historical compilation Beyond the Moreau. 

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Following his World War II service, Buck used his GI Bill benefits to earn a broadcasting journalism degree at Ohio State University. Courtesy of Beverly Buck Brennan