Joe Loadholtes
Ballplayers Decorated in Combat
| Date and Place of Birth: | September 15, 1921 Fort Meade, FL |
| Date and Place of Death: | January 28, 2001 Fort Meade, FL |
| Baseball Experience: | Minor League |
| Position: | Pitcher |
| Rank: | First Lieutenant |
| Military Unit: | 389th Bomb Group US Army Air Force |
| Area Served: | European Theater of Operations |
William J. "Joe" Loadholtes was born on September 15, 1921, in
Fort Meade, Florida. The young pitcher signed a professional contract
with the DeLand Red Hats of the Class D Florida State League, and was
6-5 in 13 appearances with a 2.87 ERA in 1941. Back with DeLand in 1942
(the team was now in the Florida East Coast League), he pitched 37
innings for a 3-0 record and allowed just seven earned runs while
striking out 21 for a minuscule 1.70 ERA ever, a promising career was
put on hold when Loadholtes entered military service with the Army Air
Force on August 20, 1942. He trained as a bomber pilot and served with
the 389th Bomb Group in England, piloting B-24 Liberators.
First Lieutenant Loadholtes participated in 35 missions. He was also
involved in the Normandy invasion, when his plane was hit by flak,
knocking out the windshield. Loadholtes was awarded the Distinguished
Flying Cross, and Air Medal with three Oak Leaf clusters.
Loadholtes returned to baseball after the war, joining the suitably
named Lakeland Pilots of the Class C Florida International League in
1946. He was 11-13 on the year with a 4.72 ERA.
Loadholtes retired from baseball after 1946. He worked in real estate
and later served as city commissioner and mayor of Fort Meade. Joe
Loadholtes passed away on January 28, 2001 in Fort Meade. He was 79
years old and is buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Fort Meade.
Date Added February 6, 2018
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