Red Arrow Men by John M. Carlisle

Author:John M. Carlisle [Carlisle, John M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781523681709
Google: rdoojwEACAAJ
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Published: 2016-01-25T16:08:02+00:00

« 34 » — “The Little Man of Football”

Gus Dobais, city councilman in Detroit and coach of the Detroit Lions, always had a soft spot in his heart for the little men of football because Gus is a little fellow himself.

So in 1937, when Gus was coaching the College All-Stars for their impending game in Chicago with the Green Bay Packers, he stood talking with Monk Meyer, the star halfback for the Army. Monk was a member of his squad.

“Don’t work too hard in practice, Monk,” Dorais said. “I’m not going to put you in the game. Green Bay is a bunch of huskies—and I’m afraid you will get hurt!”

Did you ever wonder, Gus, what happened to Monk Meyer, who sat on the bench beside you during that game?

Well, Lieut.-Col. Charles R. (Monk) Meyer, commander of the 2nd Battalion of the 127th Infantry Regiment, is one of the great fighting men of this war!

Monk Meyer is a legendary figure now in the Red Arrow Division. The GI’s call him “a good Joe.” Maj.-Gen. W. H. Gill, commander of the 32nd, said he was “a great leader of men.”

This so-called “little man of football,” who didn’t play for Gus Dorais because he “might get hurt,” has won two Silver Stars for gallantry in combat, a Bronze Star for heroic achievement under fire, and two Purple Hearts for wounds received in action.

When I first went up to the front, a dozen GI’s said the same thing to me, “Have you seen The Monk yet? What a guy!”

A big lanky soldier from Nebraska told me, as we sat in a hillside cave: “He’s tops—that Monk. Brother, in Leyte we were fighting the Japs down a road. The Monk was walking out in front of his men, his 45 blazing, picking Japs off right and left. By gosh, what a guy!”

I saw Monk a few days after his latest achievement. The entire division was talking about it. Monk was currently out of action. He had blown up a Jap cave with five Nips inside blazing at him—and set the charge so well he blew himself off his feet. The Monk lost an eardrum in that affair.

I had a bad cold and I was “sweating it out” on an Army cot when in came Monk and sat down to talk about Gus Dorais and the old days at West Point.

He didn’t look much like a fighting officer. He wears rimmed glasses and he never swears. He always says “Dad gum” about everything. He looked very lean and slight. His 145 pounds just doesn’t fill out his frame. He is 5 feet 11.

“I hear you blew yourself up with a charge of TNT,” I said.

Lt.-Col. Meyers laughed, one of those low laughs that has the swish of a Jap saber in it.

“Dad gum,” said Monk, “I got a little mad out there. I had all sorts of trouble that day. I was out with one of my patrols sealing Nip caves. Those Nips would push our TNT charges back out of the holes, or roll them out.

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