Brooklyn Boro

April 2: ON THIS DAY in 1945, U.S. gains on burning capital of Okinawa

April 2, 2020 Brooklyn Eagle History
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ON THIS DAY IN 1924, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “Charles Atlas, a Brooklyn boy who has on two different occasions been acclaimed the world’s most perfect man, sailed this morning on the S.S. Victoria for Bermuda at the request of the Bermuda Department of Agriculture. Atlas will demonstrate for the Bermuda government his health-building methods at the annual agricultural exhibition, which takes place April 8, 9 and 10. Atlas is known to all who take their daily dozen at the Central ‘Y,’ as he is a regular visitor to the gymnasium there.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1940, the Eagle reported, “DALLAS, TEX. — A year ago, Babe Dahlgren was just Lou Gehrig’s understudy, but today the soft-spoken Californian is the talk of Yankee camp — and the World Champions’ regular first baseman. Dahlgren has come a long way since he took over the assignment when illness forced Gehrig into retirement in the early stages of the American League last season. Dahlgren, never a power at the plate until then, started to show marked improvement in his hitting. He got more distance in his drives and was more consistent. Babe’s solid thumping in the closing weeks of the campaign drew rounds of praise from Manager Joe McCarthy, who stuck by Dahlgren. Dahlgren has been spanking the ball at a merry clip this spring, so much so that camp followers are predicting a big year for him. Many of them are willing to gamble that Babe will enter the .300 circle this year. If he does, no one will be surprised. Dahlgren has always shown promise.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1945, the Eagle reported, “GUAM (UP) — Tens of thousands of American invasion troops overran a dozen or more villages in southern Okinawa, only 362 miles south of Japan, and pressed on today against continued light resistance toward Naha, the island’s burning capital. Radio towers in Naha, a city of 65,000, were clearly visible to the advancing Americans as the greatest invasion of the Pacific war entered its second day already days ahead of schedule. Late yesterday, troops and tanks were less than seven miles from Naha. Marines and soldiers of the new American 10th Army stormed ashore from a 1,400-ship armada and seized an eight-and-three-quarters-mile-long beachhead on the west coast of southern Okinawa yesterday. Within the first three hours, they captured two airfields and by nightfall they had driven approximately halfway across the waist of Okinawa toward the naval anchorage of Nakagusuku Bay on the east coast, another of the prime objectives of the invasion.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1947, the Eagle reported, “Police today pressed their hunt for the missing 61-year-old Langley Collyer, concentrating their efforts inside the junk-filled Manhattan mansion where his elder brother, Homer, 65, was found dead 11 days ago. The theory that Langley was in the house was bolstered when he failed to show up for Homer’s funeral yesterday in Cypress Hills Cemetery. Detectives mingled with the crowd of 50 persons at the burial and 50 policemen and detectives on foot and in radio cars prowled adjoining sections, but there was no Langley. Seventeen Collyer cousins attended the simple Protestant Episcopal ceremony. It was suggested in several quarters that Langley may have been fatally entrapped in one of the booby traps spread throughout the house. Yesterday one of these traps collapsed on a policeman, and a cardboard box loaded with scraps of iron and bottles landed on his head.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1963, the Eagle reported, “Joseph Anthony Pepitone may be Brooklyn’s latest contribution to baseball immortality. The wiry Yank first baseman, who not too long ago was the sensation of the Parade Grounds and the toast of the Nathans’ baseball team, is making it big with the world champions. The Yanks, as everyone knows, haven’t had a super-star first baseman since the days of Lou Gehrig, but the 22-year-old Pepitone has the potential to fill the bill. It’s a little early to make predictions but Joe has carried the Yankees in spring training and no one even mentions the name of Moose Skowron anymore. So Joe’s off to a pretty good start.”

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