S/Sgt. Michael "Mike" Anthony Lacche, United States Army Welterweight Base Boxing Champion, Fort Kamehameha, Hawaii, 1942 begain his military career September 21, 1939. Click here to hear radio broadcasts from WJSV from that day. This day, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was before Congress asking to repeal the Neutrality Acts and thus allow military aid to be sent to Europe to aid stopping German aggression (click here). This came hours after Poland's conquest and control by both Germany and the Soviet Union (click here).
Army records show Mike Lacche was issued Army Serial Number 06893773, recorded his home county and state as Columbia, Pennsylvania of which his home city of Berwick is a part of. Mike Lacche had listed in his enlistment papers that one of his most recent jobs was working as an equipment operator in local movie theatres. In addition to becoming an Army Base Boxing Champion, Mike Lacche would also become an accomplished chef.
On September 21, 1939, the Philadelphia Athletics were 53-92 and the Philadelphia Phillies were 45-106; combined, they had less wins than the New York Yankees who the day Mike Lacche enlisted were 102-43 with a 17.5-game-lead over the Boston Red Sox.
Also on the day Mike Lacche enlisted, his two home state National Football League teams: the Pittsburgh Pirates were coming off a 10-0 loss to the Chicago Cardinals; the Philadelphia Eagles were coming off a 13-3 loss to the New York Giants.
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