John Judefind
| Date and Place of Birth: | January 20, 1923 Chester, PA |
| Date and Place of Death: | June 8 or 9, 1944 Normandy, France |
| Baseball Experience: | Amateur |
| Position: | Infield |
| Rank: | Sergeant |
| Military Unit: | H Company, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division |
| Area Served: | European Theater of Operations |
A baseball talent on the sandlots of Media, Pennsylvania, John Judefind hoped to play with the Philadelphia Athletics when he got back from Europe.
John J. Judefind was born in Chester, Pennsylvania on January 20,
1923. He attended St. James Catholic High School in Chester and was one
of 22 who made up the school's first graduating class in 1941.
St. James didn't have a baseball team at that time but Judefind did
participate in all other available sports including football and
softball, and in June 1941 he was awarded a silver statuette for
all-round excellence in athletics. Following graduation he played the
infield with Parkside BC of the Delco Valley League and attracted enough
attention to get a tryout with the Philadelphia Athletics.
Judefind enrolled at LaSalle College (now LaSalle University) after high
school and entered military service on November 27, 1942. Serving with
the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Sergeant
John Judefind was posted overseas in March 1944. Based in Nottingham,
England, Judefind had the chance to play one last ball game before going
into combat. On Sunday, May 28, 1944, an enthusiastic crowd of 7,000
fans gathered at Meadow Lane soccer ground to see the 508th Red Devils
play an exhibition game against the locally based 505th PIR Panthers.
The Panthers were no match for the Red Devils, losing 18-0.
Eight days later, as night fell on June 5th, Judefind and the men of the
508th - faces blackened and hearts racing - boarded transport planes for
the flight across the English Channel. That night over France, 24,000
Allied paratroopers ascended through the darkness into chaos and
confusion. Inexperienced pilots failed to locate designated drop zones
and whole regiments landed miles from intended locations. Sergeant
Judefind was killed in action on June 8 or 9, 1944, but it was not until
August 8 that his remains were formally identified.
John Judefind was inducted in St. James Catholic High School Wall of
Honor in 2006. His two sisters and many family members were in
attendance. He is buried at the Normandy American Cemetery in
Colleville-sur-Mer, France.
Thanks to Jim Hegarty of Aston, PA for help with this biography.
Date Added February 7, 2013 Updated July 15, 2013
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