Go Army! Beat Navy!

“On, brave old Army team; On to the fray: Fight on to victory, For that’s the fearless Army way” (35-36).

The Book

A Team for America: The Army-Navy Game that Rallied a Nation at War, by Randy Roberts, is a look at America and college football during World War II. While the main focus is one specific game, the book spends most of its pages helping the reader understand why this game was so important.

In the 1930s, the football team at the United States Military Academy (USMA/Army) was struggling. It couldn’t beat its major rivals (including Notre Dame and the United States Naval Academy) and the size of the team was small. In January 1941, the Superintendent of USMA recruited Earl Blaik to turn the team around. In three short years, Blaik introduced the T-formation, recruited standout players, and pushed towards national recognition. The reader learns about Blaik’s coaching style, the changes going on in college football, and key players on the Army team. Always present in the narrative is the reality of World War II and the impact it had on teams, fans, and travel.

During the 1944 season, the national press began to compare the success of Army’s football team to the success of the Army across Europe. Suddenly, there was an even brighter national spotlight on the team. Roberts says, “The 1944 Army-Navy game was widely described as the most important game of football ever played in America” (213). Most Americans had a family member either deployed, in the military, or working on the Homefront. Americans were also war-weary and ready for a return to life before the war. The game was a battle, but Army won 23-7.

Roberts writes in a way that draws the reader into the excitement and crescendos in the last couple of chapters focused on the 1944 game. It is easy to read and would appeal to fans of history, football, or the Army. In a way, the reader encounters a unique perspective: World War II through the lens of football. 

The Place
The Army-Navy Football Game is the last game of the regular season and is typically played in Philadelphia (about equidistant from the two academies). It is truly an incredible experience. My family was able to attend twice during the time my brother was a Cadet at the United States Military Academy. When you attend the Army-Navy Game, you are in for more than college football. Both academies take turns marching onto the field and spectators cheer for the future Army and Navy leaders. Army helicopters and Navy jets fly over the field and the Army Black Knight parachutes to the sidelines. While much as changed since the 1944 Army-Navy Game, the patriotic excitement is still felt at present day games.

The only downside to attending the game is the time of year it is played: the first or second week of December. It is often cold and the day can bring rain, snow, and/or sleet. I would recommend wearing numerous layers. Tickets are required, there is ample parking (for a fee) at the stadium, and the Philadelphia area provides a variety of hotels, restaurants, and things to see.