10. Competitive sports entertained troops around the globe
In April 1941, Commander James Tunney, United States Naval Reserve, accepted an active duty assignment as the US Navy’s Director of the Physical Fitness Program. A former US Marine, Tunney achieved worldwide fame in 1926, when he defeated the legendary Jack Dempsey to win the World Heavyweight Boxing Championship. Between the wars, organized boxing competitions in both the Army and Navy were common. Boxing events known as smokers, for the haze of tobacco smoke which hung over the audiences, were popular events. They became less common during the Second World War. Other common organized sporting events were baseball, football, and basketball games, swimming and track meet, shooting competitions, and many others. Trophies were awarded winners, with brisk competitions for them among and between the services.
During the war, such competitions faded, though Special Services ensured an ample supply of athletic equipment to allow less formal competitions. One reason for the decline was that sporting events encouraged gambling. Another was the nature of the war, with competitors often pulled from the areas in which contests were held before their final resolution. Athletics remained a major factor in the entertainment of troops in all areas, and participation was encouraged, though a greater focus on individual fitness through exercise replaced team competitions during the war. Still, at bases around the world throughout the war, baseball and softball games, football, and other forms of team sports continued as a means of combatting boredom and enjoying competition throughout the course of the war.