Damn Yankees by Edward Drobinski - HTML preview

Damn Yankees

Page 162

bravery. During an interview on the 65th Anniversary of D-Day, Berra confirmed that he was sent to Utah Beach during the D-Day invasion as well. According to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, he was shot in the left hand during Operation Dragoon, an injury which qualified him for the Purple Heart. However, he never received the medal, because he did not fill out the paperwork. He did not want his mother to get a telegram and worry that he had been hurt. Berra's family tried to obtain the Purple Heart posthumously, but was unable. His military records were burned in the St. Louis Archives fire in 1973, and without his medical records, there was no way to prove he had been wounded.

Following Operation Dragoon, he was sent to Tunisia before returning to the United States in January 1945 and being stationed at Naval Submarine Base New London. While there, he

played for the base's semi-pro baseball team. He also bribed guards to allow him to sneak off base and play for the Cranston, Rhode Island, Chiefs for $50 a game under an assumed name, as he was already signed with the Yankees. He was ultimately discharged in May 1946.

Following his military service, Berra played minor league

baseball with the Newark Bears, surprising the team's manager with his talent despite his short stature. He was mentored by