Spaghetti Bowl
1945
5th Army 20
12th Air Force 0
American football was brought to Italy with the advent of World War II. American units in the European theatre were full of young men with experience from the high school level to the pros. The first official game is recorded as the 1944 Bambino Bowl, played in front of 5000 spectators in Bari. On January 2, 1945, the 5th Army met the 12th Air Force in the Spaghetti Bowl in Florence.
By Pvt. Mel Diamond
(Stars and Stripes Staff Writer)
SPAGHETTI
BOWL, Jan 2-The 5th Army Mudders crushed the 12th Air Force
Bridgebusters, 20-0, in yesterday’s Spaghetti Bowl football classic
played before 25,000 fans in Florence. The victory ended a year in
sports for the 5th Army athletes during which time, they have either won
or tied for five of the seven theater sports crowns. Hero of yesterday’s
victory was Cpl. John (Big Six) Moody, 230-pound Negro fullback who was
all-America at Morris Brown several years ago. He tallied the first
marker on a three-yard plunge through the center of the Air Force line;
intercepted a pass in the third period and shook off several would be
tacklers to speed 20 yards to paydirt, and his booming punts kept the
Bridgebusters in the hole all afternoon.
The final 5th Army touchdown came on a 31-yard aerial from Pvt. Frank Buell to 1st Lt. Arthur Lemke who gathered the ball in on the 15 and scampered across for the score. All the Spaghetti Bowl needed was a break from the weather to assure its success from the standpoint of attendance figured, and what it got was better than a break- it was a blessing.
The sun was strong in a bright clear sky, and the wind was brisk without being biting. As a result, officers, G.I.s and interested Tommies began swarming into the stadium in Florence an hour before the opening whistle.
The pre-game atmosphere in the stadium was 100-percent American. It had all the spirit of a traditional college, with bands, cheerleaders and team mascots- a long horned steer for the 12th Air Force and a mule for the 5th Army- all conspicuously garbed.
It was easy to forget you were in Italy when you looked down on a well-marked gridiron, spotted the goal posts and hear loud, good-natured cracks from all parts of the stands from G.I.s who probably remembered other days when they were making the same cracks at high school and college tilts. Thousands of dollars in Italian lire were bet but none of it was smart money since practically nothing was known about the ability of either team the betting was strictly partisan.
After
a scoreless first quarter, the Mudders took over on an exchange of punts
on their own 25. Moody went off tackle 30 yards to the AAF 40 on the
first play. He picked up two more through the center of the line and
then broke away for another 30 yards going to the Bridgebusters 8. Gene
Stauver, halfback from Indianapolis, picked up two yards. Beull added
three and then Moody crashed over for the score. Moody's kick was good
and the 5th led 7-0
The second score came late in the third quarter when Moody intercepted an aerial from Art Faircloth, Washington, D.C., on the 20 and shaking off a couple of tacklers, went all the way to score. He again added the extra point, making the score, 14-0 for the Mudders.
Three plays later the 5th Army made it 20-0. The Bridgebusters punted on the first play following the kickoff and the 5th gridders were penalized 15 yards to midfield, on the next play. Buell faded back and threw a 35-yard pass to Arthur Lemke of Georgetown who galloped across for the score. A bad pass from center ruined the attempted conversion.
The 5th Army got rolling again in the fourth quarter and went all the way to the Bridgebusters 12 from where a fourth down field goal attempted by Moody was short by inches.
Note: The exact location of the Spaghetti Bowl was kept secret form the press before the game as a security precaution. The contest was given protective air cover consisting of P-38s, as a precaution against a threatened visit from the Luftwaffe. Time Magazine said, “The overhead sideshow was called off when the Germans failed to show up.”
Note: S-Sgt. William E. Carr played guard at Michigan State college in 1937 and at Alma college in '38, '39 and '40. He started at center on the 12th Air Force's "Bridgebusters" in the New Year's Day Spaghetti Bowl. Sgt. Carr, who is 27 years old and weighs 190 pounds, is a radio gunner with a medium bomber group of the 12th air force stationed in Corsica. His story can be viewed at: http://williamcarr.accessgenealogy.com/index.html.
Note: The game lacked nothing for fanfare and halftime extravagance. According to Stars and Stripes:
Each
team will have its own 56-piece band and a reserved 1,000-man cheering
section which will be led by four Wac cheerleaders………So much for the
oompa-pa and rah-rah-rah department. If there's a chill in the air- and
even if there isn't- there'll be 30 Red Cross girls around to serve hot
coffee and doughnuts (What did you expect, Mac- Haig and Haig?). For
extra, added attractions during the halves (and remember, you don't have
to see a spec for a ducat!) there will be a USO unit, songs by Ella
Logan, brief remarks from Tom Meany, New York sports writer, Nick Etten,
Yank first sacker, and Ducky Medwick, while Leo "The Terrible Lip"
Durocher will bawl the hell out of an Italian umpire for old time's
sake.
Most of
us probably will be happier gawking at a lovely-to-gawk-at drum
majorette named Peggy Jean and the equally lovely "Spaghetti Bowl
Queens." The latter will undoubtedly represent the entertainment
committee's piece-de-resistance, since both queens will make their
appearance on floats……
The 12th Air Force during practice before the game
John "Big 6" Moody carries for the 5th Army
Drum majorette, Peggy Jean, performed
John Moody
Attendance- 25,000
Scoring Summary
Second Quarter
5th AF- Moody 3 run (Moody kick)
Third Quarter
5th AF- Moody 20 yard interception return (Moody kick)
5th AF- Lemke 35 yard pass from Buell (Conversion failed)
