Right: Gen James T. Conway, Commandant of th
Marine Corps (left), and Sergeant Major of the Marin
Corps Carlton W. Kent (right) present a trophy to Ma
rine veteran and 1956 Olympic track and fiel
medalist Joshua Culbreath (center) during his in
duction into the Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame.
Four Athletes Inducted Into
Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame
By Wandoo
The Commandant of the Marine
Corps, General James T. Conway,
hosted the 2008 Marine Corps
Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony at The Clubs at Quantico, Marine
Corps Base Quantico, Va., where four
former athletes were recognized for
their contributions to the Marine Corps
and their achievements in sports.
On July 18, these four athletes were
added to an elite group of 25. “Is it the
Marine that makes the athlete or is it the
athlete that becomes the Marine?” Gen
Conway rhetorically asked the audience
in his opening speech. “What I”d like to
believe is that when they do become Marines, that we add to their skills, that we
give them discipline. We give them a sense
of purpose as they get older in life …
that they may go on and do great things.
“If you take a look at the people who
we are honoring today, they are quality
athletes,” Gen Conway said of football
greats Eddie LeBaron and Ernie Stautner, legendary baseball player and coach
Hank Bauer, and former Olympic track
and field medalist Joshua Culbreath.
Culbreath, the 1956 Olympic bronze
medalist in the 400-meter hurdles and for-
mer440-yardhurdles worldrecordholder,
credited his service in the Marine Corps
for helping him attain his accomplishments.
“It is one of the greatest honors I’ve
had bestowed upon m
“I have had many, bu
was one of the things
to my heart.” Culbrea
Marine on the 1956 O
field team and set his
while still a Marine.
“Those things were
me, and they happene
the Corps,” Culbreath
A selection commi
Deputy Commandant
Reserve Affairs, Lieu
Ronald S. Coleman, c
who were honored. O
the committee includ
Personal and Family R
sion, Major General T
USMC (Ret); the then
Division of Public Af
gon, Brigadier Gener
stead Jr.; the Sergean
rine Corps, Carlton W
branch head of Semp
Colonel John Langfor
in attendance to presen
recipients with a framed certificate.
LeBaron, a former major who earned
a Bronze Star and Purple Heart for his
heroic efforts in the Korean War in
1950, was selected for his accomplishments as a quarterback during his 11-
year career with the Washington Redskins
accepted the induction on Bauer’s behalf said the family was deeply touched
and grateful to receive the accolade because Bauer valued his accomplishments as a Marine more than his personal and athletic accomplishments.
