1945 First Air Force Aces football team

The 1945 First Air Force Aces football team represented the First Air Force based at Mitchel Field during the 1945 college football season. The Aces competed in the Army Air Forces League (AAF League) with six others teams from the United States Army Air Forces. Led by head coach Jesse Yarborough, the Aces compiled an overall record of 3–2–3 with a mark of 2–2–2 in league play, placing fourth in the AAF League.^[1] Major Yarborough's coaching staff consisted of Lieutenant Clyde Crabtree as backfield coach, Staff Sergeant George Platukis as line coach, and Lieutenant Art White as ends coach. White and Platukis were also players for the team.^[2] The team's roster included Frank Damiani and Bill Paschal, who had both played for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL).

1945 First Air Force Aces football
Conference	Army Air Forces League
Record	3–2–3 (2–2–2 AAF League)
Head coach	Jesse Yarborough
Home stadium	Ebbets Field, Freeport Municipal Stadium
Seasons ← 1944 1946 →

1945 military service football records

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Army Air Forces League
Third Air Force +	4	–	1	–	1			7	–	2	–	1
AAF Training Command +	4	–	1	–	1			8	–	3	–	1
Fourth Air Force	3	–	2	–	1			6	–	3	–	1
First Air Force	2	–	2	–	2			3	–	2	–	3
Air Transport Command	2	–	3	–	1			6	–	3	–	2
Personnel Distribution Command	2	–	4	–	0			6	–	5	–	0
Second Air Force	1	–	5	–	0			3	–	7	–	0
Independents
Hutchinson NAS			–					8	–	0	–	0
Fleet City			–					11	–	0	–	1
Corpus Christi NAS			–					7	–	1	–	0
North Camp Hood			–					7	–	1	–	0
Selman Field			–					7	–	1	–	0
Jacksonville NAS			–					9	–	2	–	0
El Toro Marines			–					8	–	2	–	0
Camp Beale			–					6	–	1	–	2
Little Creek			–					7	–	2	–	0
Amarillo AAF			–					3	–	1	–	0
Farragut NTS			–					6	–	2	–	0
South Camp Hood			–					5	–	2	–	0
Santa Barbara Marines			–					7	–	3	–	1
Fort McClellan			–					4	–	2	–	0
San Diego NTS			–					4	–	2	–	0
Eastern Flying Training Command			–					6	–	3	–	1
Atlantic City NAS			–					4	–	2	–	1
Minter Field			–					4	–	2	–	1
Camp Lee			–					7	–	4	–	0
Camp Peary			–					5	–	3	–	0
Olathe NAS			–					3	–	2	–	0
Great Lakes Navy			–					6	–	4	–	1
Hondo AAF			–					6	–	4	–	1
Bainbridge			–					5	–	4	–	0
Fort Benning			–					5	–	4	–	1
Albany Navy			–					3	–	3	–	1
Williams Field			–					4	–	4	–	0
Stockton AAF			–					4	–	5	–	2
Camp Detrick			–					3	–	4	–	0
Kearney AAF			–					3	–	4	–	0
Fort Warren			–					5	–	7	–	0
Bergstrom Field			–					3	–	5	–	1
Barksdale Field			–					4	–	7	–	0
Saint Mary's Pre-Flight			–					2	–	4	–	1
Keesler Field			–					3	–	6	–	1
Camp Blanding			–					1	–	2	–	0
Great Bend AAF			–					2	–	4	–	0
Luke Field			–					1	–	2	–	0
Miami NAS			–					1	–	2	–	0
Fort Pierce			–					4	–	9	–	0
Gulfport AAF			–					2	–	5	–	0
Ellington Field			–					1	–	4	–	1
Miami NTC			–					1	–	3	–	0
Oceana NAS			–					1	–	3	–	0
Fort Riley			–					1	–	4	–	0
Lake Charles AAF			–					1	–	4	–	0
Pensacola NAS			–					2	–	7	–	1
Cherry Point Marines			–					1	–	8	–	0
Dalhart AAF			–					0	–	3	–	0
Homestead AAB			–					0	–	3	–	0
Fort Monroe			–					0	–	7	–	0
+ – Conference co-champions

The First Air Force Aces were ranked 14th among the nation's college and service teams in the final Litkenhous Ratings.^[3]

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 22		at Air Transport Command*	Dudley Field Nashville, TN	T 7–7		[4]
September 29		at Fort Pierce*	Burdine Stadium Miami, FL	W 19–7	16,000	[5][6]
October 7	2:30 p.m.	vs. Third Air Force	Carolina Stadium Columbia, SC	L 0–19		[7]
October 14		at Personnel Distribution Command	Greensboro Memorial Stadium Greensboro, NC	L 0–7	12,000	[8][9]
October 21		vs. Air Transport Command	Mackenzie Field Holyoke, MA	T 7–7	10,000	[10][11]
October 28	2:00 p.m.	vs. Fourth Air Force	Baltimore Stadium Baltimore, MD	T 6–6	7,000	[12][13]
November 11	2:00 p.m.	AAF Training Command	Ebbets Field Brooklyn, NY (Brooklyn Bond Bowl)	W 24–6	12,515	[14][15][16]
November 18		Second Air Force	Freeport Municipal Stadium Freeport, NY	W 15–0	4,000	[17][18]
November 25		at Cherry Point Marines*	Cherry Point, NC	cancelled		[19]
*Non-conference game All times are in Eastern time

^[20]

References

1. Goodale, George (December 5, 1945). "Who's Kicking Who—Gremlins or Flyers". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville, Tennessee. p. 15. Retrieved March 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
2. "Yarborough And Aide At Mitchel Field". Miami Daily News. Miami, Florida. September 23, 1945. p. 8B. Retrieved March 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
3. Litkenhous, E. E. (December 19, 1945). "Litkenhouse Rates College, Service Teams of Nation". Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. p. 20. Retrieved March 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
4. "Yarborough Aces Rally To Tie ATC". Miami Herald. Miami, Florida. September 23, 1945. p. 1C. Retrieved March 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
5. Bell, Jack (September 30, 1945). "First AAF Eleven Defeats Fort Pierce Amphibs, 19-7". Miami Herald. Miami, Florida. p. 1C. Retrieved March 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
6. Bell, Jack (September 30, 1945). "Yarborough Eleven Wins (continued)". Miami Herald. Miami, Florida. p. 2C. Retrieved March 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
7. "Aces, Gremlins Play in Air Force Battle". The State. Columbia, South Carolina. October 7, 1945. p. 3B. Retrieved March 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
8. "Aces, Gremlins Play in Air Force Battle". Winston-Salem Journal and Sentinel. Winston-Salem, North Carolina. October 14, 1945. p. 16. Retrieved March 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
9. "PDC Comets Cop By 7-0". The Charlotte News. Charlotte, North Carolina. October 15, 1945. p. 5B. Retrieved March 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
10. "Aces-Rockets Third Game Out; Play 7-7 Tie Again Before More Than 8000 Fans At Mackenzie Field". Holyoke Transcript-Telegram. Holyoke, Massachusetts. Associated Press. October 22, 1945. p. 8. Retrieved March 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
11. "First Air Force Held To 7-7 Tie". Daily News. New York, New York. Associated Press. October 22, 1945. p. 33. Retrieved March 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
12. "Air Force Elevens To Clash In Stadium Today At 2 P.M." Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Maryland. October 28, 1945. p. 21. Retrieved March 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
13. "1st, 4th Airmen Battle to 6-6 Tie". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Fort Worth, Texas. Associated Press. October 29, 1945. p. 14. Retrieved March 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
14. "Three Ex-Giants To Clash Sunday In Bond Contest". Brooklyn Citizen. Brooklyn, New York. November 5, 1945. p. 6. Retrieved March 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
15. Gould, Ben (November 11, 1945). "30,000 to View 'Bowl' Tilt Today". Brooklyn Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. p. 24. Retrieved March 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
16. McMullen, Lorin (November 12, 1945). "Aces Shock Skymen, Triumph, 24-6, in Mud". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Fort Worth, Texas. p. 9. Retrieved March 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
17. "Aces' Late Tallies Beat 2nd AAF". New York. New York, New York. November 19, 1945. p. 42. Retrieved March 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
18. "Aces Topple 2AF, 15 to 0". Newsday. Melville, New York. November 19, 1945. p. 17. Retrieved March 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
19. "Game Cancelled". The Wilmington Morning Star. Wilmington, North Carolina. Associated Press. November 26, 1945. p. 8. Retrieved March 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
20. "Final Log For Nation's Top Football Teams". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. December 2, 1945. p. 14, part I. Retrieved March 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .