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The following is a report written by the Infantry Recreation Officer of the Hawaiian Division, Lt. George L. Febiger, which details both the importance and existence of organized sporting events recognized and supported by the U.S Government.This report, in conjunction with our collectible military dies, demonstrates the importance of island sporting events in the early 1900's and validates the authenticity of the athletic medallions, to be posted on this site at a later date. The report further indicates that the military competed in civilian events, such as the Rainbow Relays and other competitions sponsored by the AAU, when their schedule allowed.
We hope you have an enjoyable read and look forward to
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Athletics and Records
- Foreword
- Athletic and recreational activities in the Hawaiian Departmental - - general
- Athletic facilities at the various posts
- Data and Description
- Major championship records, Hawaiian Division
1. Foreword by Lt. Colonel George L. Febiger, Infantry, Recreation Officer, Hawaiian Division.
The comprehensive programs for the athletic, recreational, and educational programs for the Hawaiian Division are financially supported by profits from three moving-picture theaters operated by the Recreation Office; which theaters are in no way connected with the Army Motion Picture Service. The athletic and recreational programs are supervised by the Recreation Office.
Leagues are conducted in baseball, football, and basketball. Track and field meets are run off in the Spring and a boxing tournament is conducted during three winter months. Total monthly spectator attendance during the past year reveals the following:
- Baseball 42,600
- Football 55,700
- Basketball 47,000
- Boxing 63,000
A ten-alley bowling alley is owned and operated by the Recreation Office. The General William H Carter (Post) Library is entirely supported by this office and owns practically all of its 35,000 volumes. A playground for noncommissioned officers' children is maintained and operated.
Dances for enlisted men are held weekly and young ladies from Honolulu are invited and bus transportation furnished them.
Swimming at Schofield Barracks is conducted as a recreational activity only and approximately 3,000 enlisted men per month are convoyed to Haleiwe Beach. In the Honolulu Sector swimming is an athletic sport and teams are maintained by the several posts.
The Recreation Office generously supports the Post Children's School and entirely supports several schools for enlisted men.
Paragraphs 2.3.4, and 5, following, were contributed by Staff Sergeant
K.S. Vandergrift, Office C-2 headquarters Hawaiian Division. Sergeant
Vandergrift is the Hawaiian Division representative of the Honolulu Advertiser.
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2. Athletic and recreational activities in the Hawaiian Department-general.
The entire picture of the recreational and athletic setup in the Hawaiian Department can be summed up by the reporting that no where in the entire military establishment of the United States does there exist an athletic or recreational setup that can compare with that of the Hawaiian Department.
The mild climate of these subtropical islands makes it possible to engage in recreational sports the year round and every sport known to soldiers except winter sports are available. (Not, Ice Skating Rinks have just made their appearance in Oahu.)
No where in the Army does the enlisted man have so great an opportunity to engage in so many sports. There are countless sports for the team-athlete but there are many other sports for the individual who want just relaxation and exercise.
Recreation and athletics have always received the encouragement of all commanding officers for they go a long way towards making service in the islands even more pleasant. The league competitions offer interesting recreation for all those who attend the contests and throughout the year there is hardly a weekend that does not have at least some kind of an athletic contest to provide entertainment for the men. This weekly athletic entertainment feature is a great morale factor and has always been recognized as such.
Athletics are maintained for the most part without expense to the individual, with contributions to the athletic funds and from the recreation funds maintaining the sports.
Every post in the island has tracks and fields, tennis courts, baseball fields, and most of them have theaters, handball court, and other facilities which are listed in the following paragraphs.
3. Athletic faculties at the various posts
HAWAIIAN SEPARATE COAST ARTILLERY BRIGADE
For athletic purposes the Hawaiian Separate Coast Artillery Brigade, the Honolulu Sector Staff, and Hickam Field are organized into the Honolulu Sector League. In baseball, basketball, and swimming, Navy and Marine Corps teams are admitted to the loop to form a Sector-Navy League. This latter league is one of the few organizations in existence embracing all three branches of the Service.
Within the HSCAB are the Harbor Defenses of Honolulu, composed of Fort Ruger and Fort DeRussey, the 64th CAC (AA) at Fort Shafter, Fort Kamehameha, Hickam Field and Staff.
Honolulu is at somewhat of a disadvantage as they do not have a post gymnasium. However, the remaining facilities of the remaining teams in the loop.
- Fort DeRussey: A fine running track at Fort DeRussey where the Hawaiian Department track and field championship[s were held in 1936 and 1938, plus a well-turfed baseball diamond, an outdoor boxing arena. A swimming beach with paddle tennis courts, handball courts, horseshoe pitching courts, two one-meter diving boards, one one-meter diving board, and several swimming floats also adjoin the beach post.
- Fort Kamehameha: with it's spacious Somervell Hall where a majority of the Sector boxing cards are held is the best equipped post in the Sector. Located near Somervell Hall is a fast running track, an excellent baseball diamond. Nearby is located a saltwater swimming pool where members of the post may enjoy the excellent ocean water under the ever watchful eyes of trained guards.
- Fort Shafter: in lower Kalihi Valley, has everything for the
development of their athletes with the exception of a track. The "Gunners"
use the Fort DeRussey track for training purposes. The Shafter baseball
stadium, situated in a natural amphitheater, accommodates upwards of
10,000 fans and has been the scene of many Department and Army-Navy
championship contests. Fort Shafter opened a new bowling alley, erected
at a cost of $15,000, this year (1939). In addition to this splendid
new development, another bowling alley.
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Is situated at Fort Kamehmeha. In addition to the baseball diamond and the bowling alleys, Fort Shafter has a swimming pool, gymnasium and golf course. The latter is used by all personnel of the Sector. Two semiannual tournaments are held over the course.
- Hickam Field: Athletic plans are still in the formative state since the post is still under construction.
- Wheeler Field: Wheeler Field, located adjacent to Schofield Barracks became a separate pot in 1939. The Field has a well equipped gymnasium constructed inside one of the hangers. Included is a basketball court, handball court, squash court, and boxing ring, as well as a considerable gymnastic equipment. A double tennis court with lights for night playing is also on the field while away from the field proper a skeet range is maintained. In addition, a good many volleyball court are laid out near the main barracks and are in constant use. A new baseball field, Stribling Field, is to be constructed.
- Schofield Barracks: Schofield Barracks has an athletic setup
that is not equaled at any other post in the Army. Besides a centralized
athletic setup maintained by the Recreation Office each regiment has
a complete athletic plant. The Recreation Center, located in the approximate
center of the post, contains a covered boxing arena with seating accommodations
for nearly 10,000, a large post theater, two tennis courts, a gymnasium
and bowling alleys. The gymnasium is used for all post basketball contests
and also houses complete equipment for gymnastic, boxing, wrestling
as well as two enclosed box handball courts.
Schofield Barracks also has very good 13-hole golf course, horseshoe ring, two practice polo fields, Benson Memorial polo fields which ranks with the best fields in the world, four tennis courts at the officers club which are among the best in eh island, and two beaches for swimming which are maintained at Haleiwa with connections to and from the post by free motor convoy,. There is also a rest camp at Wainanae, located on the beach.
Each regiment maintains a complete athletic plant which includes a baseball field, football field, boxing rings, gymnasium and training quarters, basketball court, tennis courts, handball courts, running tracks and volleyball courts.
Three of the football fields, Stoneman, Weight Smith, and Chickamauga Park, are used for post football and track and field meets. They are equipped with grandstands under cover to seat about 4,000 at each field. Wolfhound Field, 27th Infantry, is also used for track meets.
There are nine baseball fields which are used for Post baseball competition and each has permanent grandstand. Fields are:
- Sergeant (11th FA)
- Bishop (8th FA)
- Hunter (13thFA)
- Chickamauga Park (19th Inf)
- Gimlet (21st Inf)
- Sills (27th Inf)
- Watt (35th Inf)
- Davis (Staff)
- Halston (Engrs)
4. Data and Description
a. Baseball: Baseball is an exceptionally popular sport with the Army in Hawaii. Schofield Barrack has a 10-team league playing three rounds with, each team completing a 27 game schedule. Teams in the league are the 11th, 8th, and 13th Field Artillery Regiments; 19th, 21st, 27th, and 35th Infantry Regiments; Staff (Special Troops with 11th quartermaster and 11th Medical Regiments); 3rd Engineers; and the 18th Pursuit Group from Wheeler Field. Each regiment has its own playing field and all fields are used during the three and one-half month long season.
The Honolulu Sector combines its baseball with ht e 14th Naval District forming the Sector-Navy league. The Navy adds two teams, the Submarine Base and Patrol Wing Two, and the Marines add another.
The winner of the Schofield Barracks league annually plays the top Army team of the Sector-Navy loop for the Hawaiian Department championship. The winner of the Army title then plays the top Navy team of the sector-Navy league for the Island Service baseball championship.
Three teams, the Submarine base, Fort Shafter (64th CAC), and the 21st Infantry, have dominated the three leagues the past years (1936 - 1940).
Baseball attracts crowds from 500 to 10,000 as was the case of the Service championship playoff between the 21st Infantry and Submarine Base of Pearl Harbor played at Schofield's Sills Field in 1938.
Back to Topb. Basketball: Basketball is a major sport al all posts in the Hawaiian Department. Schofield Barracks has a 10-team league compromised of the 11th, 8th, and 13th Field Artillery regiments; the 19th, 21st, 27th, and 35th Infantry regiment; Staff; 3rd Engineers; and the 18th Pursuit Group from Wheeler Field. The 10 teams play a two-round schedule, each team playing 18 games. For the past eight years (1932-1939) the 3rd Engineers won the Schofield title, setting an all time Island and Army basketball record. All games are played in eh Schofield Post gym, with two games a night during January and February.
The Honolulu Sector has a league comprised of Fort Shafter, Fort Kamehmeha, Honolulu, Staff, and Hickam Field.
The Honolulu Sector competes in the sector-Navy league which has in addition to the five Army teams the Patrol wing Two and Submarine Base of the Navy and the Marines. The league plays a two-round schedule. Each team meeting the other teams twice. Games are played twice a week in the various gyms of the teams.
An annual Hawaiian Department Championship play-off is conducted between the Schofield Barracks champions and the winner of the Sector league.
The only complete Territorial Inter-Island tournament ever held was conducted at Schofield barracks in 1934 and won by the 3rd Engineers.c. Bowling: During 1939 bowling took its place as the sport with the largest player attendance in the Hawaiian Department. Alleys are located at the following posts:
- Schofield Barracks - 10 alleys
- Fort Shafter - 6 alleys
- Fort Kamehameha - 4 alleys
- Wheeler Field - 4 or 6 alleys to be built in 1940
- Hickam Field - 4 alleys to be built in 1940
Other Sector posts make use of the Shafter and Kamehameha alleys as well as the 14 alleys which are located at the Pearl Harbor Naval Station.
These alleys were all installed and are serviced by the Brunswick-Balke-Callander Co., the world's largest dealers in bowling equipment. The alleys are frequently checked for accuracy so that any records made may receive recognition by the American Bowling Congress.
Estimates are that 3,500 members of the Hawaiian Department bowl regularly at one of the above alleys.
The Army leagues are as follows:
- Schofield Barracks:
- Brigade League
- All regimental "A"
- All regimental "B"
- Officers-ladies
- Open regimental novice
- Honolulu Sector:
- Post league (Equivalent to Schofield Brigade)
- Inter-battery Novice League at all posts
- Sector-Navy League between Army-Navy-Marines, rolled at Shafter and Navy alleys
Schofield National Winners: The first part of 1940,
February 21, saw the Schofield Barracks "B" bowling team win
the annual YMCA National Telegraphic tournament. Schofield bowling teams
are just about as good amateur performers to be found in the world. By
special letter from New York City the results of the 1940 national YMCA
Telegraphic Bowling Tourney were made known. Schofield leads all the rest;
104 of the best civilian and service terms in the world, to be exact.
It was the 18th annual such bowling tourney, which annually shows teams
from every section of the United States and from China, the Philippines,
Panama, Puerto Rico, Canada,m and anyplace else where the YMCA could supervise
the one night tourney.
By their entry Schofield made Hawaii a representative for he second time
in many years. In fact, last year Hawaii was represented, by the army
bowlers, for the first time in a decade.
The long list shown the No.2 Schofield team as winners this year with
a 3,1890 score and the No. 1 Schofield team in third place with their
3,054 score turned in. An this high honor is in the classy A competition,
which put the soldier bowler here in the best circles.
On the Eastern coast, where more population resulted in keener competition
than other sections, there was represented the most runner-ups to Schofield
teams. The civilians team from Brocton, Mass., finished second with 44
pins under the impressive 3,189 by Schofield
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Schofield's No. 1 team took third place with 3,054 pins. The margin
of superiority for Hawaii's entries was good enough to top the teams below
third place by nearly 200 pins, starting with fourth place Yonkers, N.Y.,
civilian five man team.
Emory C. Wixon of the second place Brockton, Mass., team was high single
man with a neat 279, almost unbeatable bowling in a tournament. He also
was high triple game man with his 709. Paulhamus of Schofield was behind
him with a 686 for three games score. The 257 rolled by both Paulhamus
and Okerstrom was third high score in the tourney. Ahead of them were
Tom Harris of the Carbondale, Pa., team; and Charles Fabor of the Ashland,
Ohio team. The latter bowled one better, a 258. Mr. Harris had a 266.
Schofield grabbed off several more honors besides the big one which will
bring them a handsome silver cup from the tourney sponsors. They were
the high among the service entries from all over the world and their high
single and three games scores are tops also in the same field. For these
high games special medals will be awarded Paulhaus and Okerstrom.
Another reward, and the most interesting in many ways, is the "State
certificate" Schofield will receive. With so many teams represented
from each state on the mainland, especially those of New York, Massachusetts,
Pennsylvania, and Ohio, the custom has been to recognize top teams in
states entered annually with a certificate. Hawaii, thanks to Schofield,
won the tournament.
Following are the players and scores:
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