| SIX FAMOUS AMERICANS BORN ON FEBRUARY | | | | Army field commanders during World War II, and |
| 12th | | | | a General of the Army in the U.S. Army. After |
| | | | | the war ended Bradley was head of the Veterans |
| JOSEPH HENRY “JOE” GARAGIOLA, SR. | | | | Administration for two years. He did much to |
| was a catcher in Major League Baseball who went | | | | help that health care system and also helped vets |
| on to become an announcer and television host | | | | received their educational benefits under the G.I. |
| who was popular for his colorful personality. He | | | | Bill of Rights. In 1948 he was the Army Chief |
| was born in St. Louis, Missouri and grew up in a | | | | of Staff and President Truman appointed him the |
| neighborhood known as “The Hill” not far | | | | first Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in |
| from where Yogi Berra lived. when he | | | | 1949. In 1950 he became General of the |
| Garagiola started playing with the Columbus | | | | Army. He was the last man in the 20th century |
| Red Birds at the age of 17. He broke into the | | | | to achieve that rank. Also, in 1950 he was made |
| major leagues in 1946. Mediocre was the word | | | | the first Chairman of the NATO Military |
| to describe his abilities at playing baseball. He has | | | | Committee. He left active duty in 1953. |
| three books to his credit; Baseball is a Funny | | | | President Ford presented him with the |
| Game published in 1960, a collection of humorous | | | | Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977. (d. 1981) |
| anecdotes about his upbringing and his baseball | | | | . Read further about his life in his memoirs; A |
| career- the same kind of style that was his | | | | Soldier’s Story. |
| trademark as a broadcaster. It’s | | | | ALICE LEE ROOSEVELT LONGWORTH |
| Anybody’s Ballgame published in 1980) and | | | | “Princess Alice” as she was nicknamed |
| Just Play Ball in 2007. Garagiola began his | | | | by the American people, was the oldest child of |
| broadcasts on KMOX 1955-1962, following that | | | | President Theodore Roosevelt, born in 1884, in |
| he began announcing for NBC television and | | | | New York City. Two days after her birth her |
| stayed with the network for almost 30 years. | | | | mother died. She was then cared for by her |
| He has been honored by the Baseball Hall of | | | | Theodore’s sister Bamie until he remarried, |
| Fame’s Ford Frick Award (1991) for | | | | and his second wife, Edith, took over the raising |
| outstanding broadcasting accomplishments. | | | | of his first-born. Alice was unconventional and |
| FORREST MEREDITH TUCKER was born in | | | | controversial. She was (almost) a lifelong |
| Plainfield, Indiana in the year 1919. He began his | | | | Republican until the social upheavals during the |
| career as a performer at the Chicago World’s | | | | 1950s-1970s. When she supported Kennedy in |
| Fair in 1933. He pushed the big wicker tourist | | | | 1964, and was supporting Bobby Kennedy in |
| chairs during the day and sang “Throw | | | | 1968. But she went back to being a Republican, |
| Money” at night. His family then moved | | | | voting for Richard Nixon in his run for the White |
| to Washington, D.C., where he was hired by the | | | | House. Alice died in 1980 of emphysema and |
| owner of the Old Gaiety Burlesque Theater after | | | | pneumonia. She was 96. |
| he won its Saturday night amateur contest. | | | | ABRAHAM LINCOLN 16th president of the |
| After he won the second time he was made | | | | United States was born in Hardin County, |
| master of ceremonies, though when it was | | | | Kentucky in 1809. He was a country lawyer, an |
| discovered that he was under age he was fired. | | | | Illinois state senator (1847-1849), and twice a |
| In 1939 Tucker went to California and auditioned | | | | candidate for the U. S. Senate (unsuccessful). In |
| for movie roles. His role as Wade Harper in The | | | | 1860 Lincoln won the Republican Party nomination |
| Westerner (1940). Made Columbia Pictures | | | | and was elected president. (1861-1865) During |
| take notice of him (in the fight scene with Gary | | | | his tenure in office the Confederate States of |
| Cooper). They signed him on. In 1941 his first | | | | America were defeated during the Civil War, he |
| lead role was in Emergency Landing and in 1942 | | | | issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, |
| co-starred in the classic film, Keeper of the Flame. | | | | and promoted passage of the Thirteenth |
| World War II happened and Tucker enlisted, not | | | | Amendment to the Constitution. Six days after |
| resuming his acting career until 1946, when he | | | | General Lee’s surrender Lincoln became the |
| appeared in The Yearling and some scenes in | | | | first president and became the first president to |
| Never Say Goodbye. Republic pictures signed | | | | be assassinated (1865). |
| him on in 1948 and he had a major role in Sands | | | | LOUISA CATHERINE JOHNSON ADAMS was |
| of Iwo Jima. He went on to work on the stage, | | | | born in 1775, in London, England. She was the |
| most notably The Music Man and television he | | | | wife of John Quincy Adams which made her First |
| stared as Sgt O’Rourke in F-Troop | | | | Lady of the United States from 1825-1829. She |
| (1965-1967). (d. 1986) | | | | was the only first lady to be born outside the |
| OMAR NELSON BRADLEY was born in Clark, | | | | United States. (d. |
| Missouri in 1893. He was one of the main U.S. | | | | |