Sammy Crowns
| Date and Place of Birth: | February 2, 1919 Nekoosa, WI |
| Date and Place of Death: | March 28, 1945 Romblon Island, The Philippines |
| Baseball Experience: | Semi-Pro |
| Position: | Third Base |
| Rank: | Private |
| Military Unit: | 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division US Army |
| Area Served: | Pacific Theater of Operations |
Howard R. "Sammy" Crowns, son of Neal and Geneva Crowns, was born in Nekoosa, Wisconsin, on February
2, 1919. He attended Alexander High School in Nekoosa where he starred
in baseball, football and basketball.
He later worked for the Nekoosa-Edwards Paper Company and played
baseball in the Wood County League with the Nekoosa team and basketball
with the Modern Shoes team in the Wisconsin Rapids City League. Crowns
was an all-star baseball player at third base but is best remembered for
his basketball prowess. Playing in the City Basketball League, he
established a Lincoln fieldhouse
scoring record of 36 points in one game. "Sammy was speed personified on the basketball
court," wrote Don Unferth in the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune on April
24, 1945.
On May 31, 1939, Crowns married Geneva Jackson. They had two daughters,
Jeanine and Juanita.
Military service beckoned on May 22, 1944 and he received basic training
at Camp Hood, Texas, assigned to the 148th Battalion R.R.T.C. Crowns was home on a furlough in October 1944, and
it would be the last time he saw his wife and daughters before heading
overseas. He was transferred to Fort Ord, California, after that furlough
and left for overseas in December 1944.
Private Crowns served with the 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry
Division in the Pacific Theater. In March 1945, he was part of the
invasion force that landed on Romblon Island in the Philippines. Private
Crowns lost his life on March 28. He was buried at Tacloban, in The
Philippines.
"It is sad indeed to learn of the death of Howard 'Sammy' Crowns in
action in the Philippines," wrote Unferth in the Daily Tribune on April
24, 1945. "Sammy's wife, his daughters, his parents will miss him
terribly. The Wisconsin Rapids City League will miss him too."
Sammy Crowns (front row, second left) with the Alexander High School basketball team in 1937
Sammy Crowns #24 (second row, first left) with the Alexander High School football team in 1937
This bronze plaque, which includes the name of Howard "Sammy" Crowns, was erected in front of the Nekoosa-Port Edwards Veterans Memorial Building in 1960. It is now located at the City of Nekoosa Municipal Building.
Thanks to Astrid van Erp for help with photos for this biography.
Date Added June 4, 2012 Updated August 5, 2017
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