The Greatest QB in Bears History Was Also Part of the “Longest Day”
When people think about the name Sid Luckman, they immediately declare the greatest quarterback in Chicago Bears history. It’s well-deserved. The man played a critical role in changing his position in the eyes of the NFL. The forward pass was still something new back in the 1940s and Luckman’s ability to throw it and throw it well was a big reason it became more and more popular.
The man also won four NFL championships and still holds the league record with seven touchdown passes in a single game. He was and remains the only Bears quarterback in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. There is little the man didn’t accomplish in his career. It’s a big reason he was ranked #4 all-time on the Top 100 Bears list.
However, what’s even more incredible about Luckman was how real life got in the way during his prime years. He was 25-years old when the United States was dragged into World War II by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. For the first year in 1942, he remained with the team. By 1943 though, the military demands for manpower had grown.
Ready to do his duty, Luckman enlisted with the U.S. Merchant Marines and was sent across the Atlantic Ocean to Great Britain by 1944.
Sid Luckman was present when the Allies invaded Normandy
People don’t understand how crazy things were for Luckman at that time. On December 26th, 1943 he had the best game of his life. Against the Washington Redskins in the NFL championship, he threw five touchdown passes. Then for good measure, he intercepted fellow Hall of Famer Sammy Baugh twice. It was a feat no quarterback has achieved since.
Just six months later, Luckman was on U.S. Navy vessel departing from the southern coast of England. It was the early morning of June 6th. Over 5,000 ships were in the midst of crossing the English Channel. They carried with them tens of thousands of soldiers and sailors from an assortment of different countries including America, Britain, France, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Poland among others.
It was raining, cold, and the seas were windswept and high. Then through the morning mist, the French coast came into view. The Nazi garrisons on the Normandy coast had no idea they were coming. Allied warships soon began a fierce bombardment, hitting every defensive installation they could find with high explosives.
Even so, the German guns soon began to respond, sending up massive spouts of water and scoring a few hits of their own. Luckman, just like on the field, was undaunted. He boarded a smaller craft that quickly loaded up with American soldiers. Then when the signal was given, it set off for the beaches. All the while under a hail of artillery and machine gun fire.
When close enough, the craft disgorged the troops onto the beach and they quickly stormed their way towards the defenses. Then Luckman turned the craft around and went back for more. He would continue to do this for the rest of the day. What many still call the “longest day” in modern history.