Si Lobello

Simon Lobello


Born:
December 16, 1919
Queens, NY

Died:
March 3, 1945
Belgium


Career
1941-42 Long Island Grumans (Independent)
1942-43 Long Island Grumans (Independent)
1943-44 Brooklyn Indians (ABL)
1943-44 New York Americans (ABL)

1943-44 New York Clippers (Independent)
1944-45 Mitchell Field (Military)

Serving in the U.S. Army in the European Theater in World War 2, Lobello went missing during the Battle of the Bulge in March of 1945. He was later found to have been killed in action. LIU held a fundraiser for the family shortly after his death.

He was married to Dorothy.

Source:


Stats:
http://probasketballencyclopedia.com/player/si-lobello/

Ben Ford

Ben Ford


Born:
1920
Wilkes-Barre, PA

Died:
January 26, 1944
Italy


Career
1936-37 Wilkes-Barre Township (High School)
1937-38 Wilkes Barre YMCA (Independent)
1938-39 Georgetown Butlers - Wilkes-Barre, PA (Independent)
1939-40 Wilkes-Barre Barons (ABL)
1940-41 East Stroudberg Teachers College (College)
1941-42 East Stroudberg Teachers College (College)
1942-43 East Stroudberg Teachers College (College)

Ford was playing for the amateur Georgetown Butlers when he signed with the Barons. However, after a couple of games he tried to return to the Butlers but was declared ineligible due to his professional play. He enrolled at East Stroudsberg Teachers College (professional play had not yet been an across-the-board nullification for collegiate play), but in 1943 got his call to serve his country. Ford was serving on the Italian Front in January of 1944 when he was killed in action.

Source:
Wilkes-Barre Record, March 6, 1940

Stats:
http://probasketballencyclopedia.com/player/ford/

Eddie Fredericks

Edward Joseph Fredericks


Born:
May 10, 1913
Brooklyn, NY

Died:
July 17, 1944



Career
1935-36 Brooklyn St.Anthony’s (Independent)
1936-37 Atlantic City Sandsnipers (ABL)
1936-37 Yonkers Caseys (Independent)
1937-38 Yonkers Caseys (Independent)
1938-39 Brooklyn Americans (Independent)
1939-40 Brooklyn St.Peter’s (Independent)
1939-40 National City Bank (Independent)

Fredericks was killed in combat in 1944.

Source:


Stats:
http://probasketballencyclopedia.com/player/eddie-fredericks/

Herbert Bonn

Herbert Sidney Bonn

Born:
July 14, 1914
Aliquippa, PA

Died:
April 7, 1943
South Pacific Ocean

Career
1929-30 Taylor Allderice High School - Pittsburgh (High School)
1934-35 Duquesne University (College)
1935-36 Duquesne University (College)
1936-37 Duquesne University (College)
1937-38 Pittsburgh Pirates (NBL)
1938-39 Pittsburgh Pirates (NBL)


Herbert Sidney Bonn was born in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania to Benjamin (1880-1969) and Goldie (1885-1967) Bonn, and grew up in Squirrel Hill. He went to Taylor Allderice High School. He was an All-American at Duquesne ('37) and played semi-pro basketball a little before joining Pittsburgh in the NBL for two seasons. In January of 1941, he enlisted in the Navy Reserves and became a pilot. He was stationed initially in Washington for three months, and then the Jacksonville naval air station, but was reassigned to San Diego on December 2, 1941 after over 300 hours of flying time. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Bonn saw combat in the South Pacific. On March 29, 1943, Bonn sent a letter to his parents stating he was going on patrol duty to "kill Japs." He never returned from that patrol, and on morning of April 10, Bonn's parents were notified by the Naval Department that Lieutenant Bonn was Missing In Action. His official date of death is listed by the Naval Department as April 7, 1943.




Sources:
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Nov 18, 1941
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Apr 12, 1943
Jews In Sports


Stats:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/nbl/players/b/bonnhe01n.html
http://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=bonnhe01
http://probasketballencyclopedia.com/player/herb-bonn/