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Those Who Died That Others Might Be Free

 

 

Born October 21, 1914 in Northvale, New Jersey, his brother, Bill, was a spitballer in the old days and Howie played semi-pro baseball with George Garecht’s Tappan Community nine until signing with Beatrice Blues of the Nebraska State League in 1937. DeMartini finished the year with an unimpressive 4-5 won-loss record and returned to semi-pro baseball for the following two seasons.

In 1939, DeMartini was brought to Frank Snyder at the Polo Grounds for a tryout by his brother, Detective DeMartini of the New York Police Force. Snyder was liked what he saw and DeMartini was assigned to Milford Giants of the Eastern Shore League for 1940. He had a superb season, posting a 2.74 ERA and a 16-6 won-loss record.

The following year at Salisbury Giants in the North Carolina State League, DeMartini was 17-7 and became an idol of the city. He pitched briefly with Jersey City Giants in the International League in 1942. The 5-feet-11, 200 pound right-hander was on the New York Giants’ roster when he entered military service in July 1942. DeMartini received basic training at Camp Lee, Virginia. He was attached to F Company, 3rd Platoon, 262nd Infantry Regiment of the 66th Infantry Division and arrived in England in November 1944.

On Christmas Eve 1944, Staff-Sergeant DeMartini was among 2235 American soldiers from the 66th Infantry Division who boarded the troopship SS Leopoldville bound for France. In the dead of night, and just five miles from the port of Cherbourg in France, the Leopoldville was spotted by German U-boat U-486. Oblt. Gerhard Meyer launched torpedoes at the huge vessel. F Company were quartered where the torpedo struck and of 175 troops assigned to the company, only 19 survived. The body of Staff Sergeant Howard DeMartini was among 37 of 3rd Platoon never found. Everything that could went wrong. Emergency calls for help were mishandled, rescue craft were slow to the scene and the weather was unfavorable. 763 American soldiers died that night, making this the worst loss an American Infantry Division suffered from a U-boat attack during the war. U-486 was later sunk by torpedoes from the British submarine HMS Tapir on 12 April, 1945 in the North Sea.

The Allied authorities were highly embarrassed by the incident and decided to bury the case. News that he was missing reached DeMartini's hometown in January 1945. It was not until May that his death was confirmed. "The budding career of a young fellow...has come to an abrupt end with word from the War Department," declared the Journal News on May 12, 1945.

Howard DeMartini was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously. In 1980, he was inducted into the Bergen County Baseball Hall of Fame. His sister, Mrs Charlotte Nealy, proudly accepted the award on his behalf.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sergeant Leonard Berry, a minor league pitcher, was also killed when the SS Leopoldville was sunk.

 

Added July 15, 2006. Updated November 11, 2006.

Copyright © 2007 Gary Bedingfield (Baseball in Wartime). All Rights Reserved.