Chester Sheets
Ballplayers Wounded in Combat
| Date and Place of Birth: | October 8, 1919 Teaneck, NJ |
| Date and Place of Death: | July 17, 2010 NJ |
| Baseball Experience: | Minor League |
| Position: | Pitcher |
| Rank: | First Lieutenant |
| Military Unit: | C Battery, 929th Field Artillery Battalion, 104th Infantry Division US Army |
| Area Served: | Mediterranean and European Theater of Operations |
Chester W. Sheets, the son of Ward and Helen Sheets, was born in
Teaneck, New Jersey, on October 8, 1919. He was a pitcher on the varsity
team at Teaneck High School and hurled a no-hitter his senior year,
1937. That same year, Sheets was named to the Bergen Evening Record
All-County baseball team for his play with local semi-pro teams.
he continued his studies at Bergen College and Pace Institute, and
played baseball with Ruckdeschel's of Hackensack, and the Bogota Club,
with whom he threw another no-hitter.
In 1940, the 20-year-old was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals, and
pitched for the Daytona Beach Islanders of the Class D Florida State
League, the Harrisonburg Turks of the Class D Virginia League and the
Williamson Red Birds of the Class D Mountain State League. In 10
appearances for the Red Birds, he was 1-2 with an ERA of 7.00.
Sheets entered military service in February 1942. He trained at Fort
Dix, New Jersey, and attained the rank of corporal at Fort Bragg, North
Carolina. He then went on to training at Camp Blanding, Florida, and was
commissioned a second lieutenant on July 28, 1942, at Field Artillery
Officer Candidate School.
Sheets was assigned to the 36th Infantry Division, and went overseas in
April 1943. He was wounded in action in North Africa, in August 1943,
and returned to the United States, where he was hospitalized for
treatment of shrpanel wounds to his leg and arm.
Lieutenant Sheets was sent to France in September 1944, with the 312th
Field Artillery, attached to the 79th Infantry Divsion. He later
transferred to C Battery of the 929th Field Artillery Battalion of the
104th Infantry Division.
In March 1945, he was awarded the Bronze Star for "meritorious conduct
in crossing 3,000 yards of open territory to an enemy-held town, setting
up and maintaining an observation post under artillery fire and refusing
to abandon his post, while directing an attack on the enemy."
On March 31, 1945, Lieutenant Sheets was again wounded by shrapnel while
acting as a forward observer in Germany.
He arrived home on a 30-day furlough in July 1945, and was due to report
with the army to San Luis Obispo, California, when the war ended.
Chester Sheets didn't return to baseball. He passed away on July 17,
2010. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington,
Virginia.
Date Added December 31, 2017
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