Charlie Behan
| Born: | August 4, 1920 End |
|---|---|
| College | Northern Illinois |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1942 | Detroit Lions |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | First Lieutenant |
| Unit |  Sixth Marine Division |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Charles Edward Behan (August 4, 1920 – May 18, 1945) was a professional
end for one season for the Detroit Lions
.
Football career
Behan caught 4 passes for 63 yards in 1942, his only year with the Lions.[1]
Behan enlisted in the U.S. Armed Forces in 1942 and served in the
4th and 29th Regiments. Behan was the 29th Marines' player-coach and team captain in what the roster sheets passed out that day labeled "The Football Classic." The game ended in a scoreless tie.[3]
Death at Okinawa
Most Marine players and spectators involved in "The Football Classic" were shipped to
Okinawa in April 1945. During the Okinawa campaign, Behan took part in the Battle of Sugar Loaf Hill. During the battle he was hit with shrapnel in the mouth. Insisting to stay on the front lines, Behan applied cotton to his mouth and changed it out regularly. After tossing grenades at a Japanese machine gun nest, Behan was hit by machine-gun fire and died.[3]
Behan was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross.[3][4]
Notes
- ^ Rothstein, Mike (July 4, 2014). "Lions history by the numbers: 10-0". ESPN. Retrieved July 9, 2014.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ Denver Post.
- ^ "Full Text Citations For Award of The Navy Cross To U.S. Marines World War II". Home of Heroes. Archived from the original on August 4, 2014. Retrieved July 9, 2014.
