1945 Personnel Distribution Command Comets football team

The 1945 Personnel Distribution Command Comets football team represented the Personnel Distribution Command (PDC) based in Greensboro, North Carolina and Louisville, Kentucky during the 1945 college football season. The Comets competed in the Army Air Forces League (AAF League) with six others teams from the United States Army Air Forces. The team compiled an overall record of 6–5 with a mark of 2–4 in league play, placing sixth in the AAF League.[1]

1945 Personnel Distribution Command Comets football
ConferenceArmy Air Forces League
Record6–5 (2–4 AAF League)
Head coach
Home stadiumDuPont Manual Stadium, Greensboro Memorial Stadium
Seasons
← 1944
1946 →
1945 military service football records
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Army Air Forces League
Third Air Force + 4 1 1 7 2 1
AAF Training Command + 4 1 1 8 3 1
Fourth Air Force 3 2 1 6 3 1
First Air Force 2 2 2 3 2 3
Air Transport Command 2 3 1 6 3 2
Personnel Distribution Command 2 4 0 6 5 0
Second Air Force 1 5 0 3 7 0
Independents
Hutchinson NAS     8 0 0
Fleet City     11 0 1
Corpus Christi NAS     7 1 0
North Camp Hood     7 1 0
Selman Field     7 1 0
Jacksonville NAS     9 2 0
El Toro Marines     8 2 0
Camp Beale     6 1 2
Little Creek     7 2 0
Amarillo AAF     3 1 0
Farragut NTS     6 2 0
South Camp Hood     5 2 0
Santa Barbara Marines     7 3 1
Fort McClellan     4 2 0
San Diego NTS     4 2 0
Eastern Flying Training Command     6 3 1
Atlantic City NAS     4 2 1
Minter Field     4 2 1
Camp Lee     7 4 0
Camp Peary     5 3 0
Olathe NAS     3 2 0
Great Lakes Navy     6 4 1
Hondo AAF     6 4 1
Bainbridge     5 4 0
Fort Benning     5 4 1
Albany Navy     3 3 1
Williams Field     4 4 0
Stockton AAF     4 5 2
Camp Detrick     3 4 0
Kearney AAF     3 4 0
Fort Warren     5 7 0
Bergstrom Field     3 5 1
Barksdale Field     4 7 0
Saint Mary's Pre-Flight     2 4 1
Keesler Field     3 6 1
Camp Blanding     1 2 0
Great Bend AAF     2 4 0
Luke Field     1 2 0
Miami NAS     1 2 0
Fort Pierce     4 9 0
Gulfport AAF     2 5 0
Ellington Field     1 4 1
Miami NTC     1 3 0
Oceana NAS     1 3 0
Fort Riley     1 4 0
Lake Charles AAF     1 4 0
Pensacola NAS     2 7 1
Cherry Point Marines     1 8 0
Dalhart AAF     0 3 0
Homestead AAB     0 3 0
Fort Monroe     0 7 0
  • + – Conference co-champions

The Comets began the season with Captain Ted Shipkey as head coach. In October, after the team's first three games, Shipkey was discharged from military service and returned to the University of New Mexico, where he had been head football coach before World War II. He was succeeded by Major Wally Marks who had coached at Indiana State University before the war. Staff Sergeant Jim Harris was the team's line coach until he was discharged along with Shipkey.[2]

The PDC Comets were ranked 27th among the nation's college and service teams in the final Litkenhous Ratings.[3]

Schedule edit

DateTimeOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 232:30 p.m.at Third Air ForceL 9–2712,000[4][5]
September 29at Army*L 0–329,000[6][7]
October 72:30 p.m.Air Transport CommandL 8–156,000[8][9]
October 14First Air ForceW 7–012,000[10][11]
October 21vs. Second Air ForceL 0–138,000[12][13]
October 28Bergstrom Field*
  • DuPont Manual Stadium
  • Louisville, KY
W 26–04,500[14]
November 4Fort Pierce*
  • Greensboro Memorial Stadium
  • Greensboro, NC
W 16–710,000[15]
November 11at Fourth Air ForceW 9–715,000[16]
November 19at Miami NAS*W 45–65,982[17]
December 2at Camp Peary*W 21–1410,000[18]
December 9vs. AAF Training CommandL 0–146,546[19]

[20]

References edit

  1. ^ Goodale, George (December 5, 1945). "Who's Kicking Who—Gremlins or Flyers". The Nashville Tennessean. Nashville, Tennessee. p. 15. Retrieved March 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  2. ^ "Louisville AAF Coaches Shifted". The Evening News. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. October 5, 1945. p. 19. Retrieved March 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  3. ^ Litkenhous, E. E. (December 19, 1945). "Litkenhouse Rates College, Service Teams of Nation". Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. p. 20. Retrieved March 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  4. ^ "Plant, Jesuit Collide Tonight—Grems, Comets Ready". The Tampa Daily Times. Tampa, Florida. September 22, 1945. p. 9. Retrieved March 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  5. ^ "12,000 See Grems Trim Comets, 27-9". Tampa Morning Tribune. Tampa, Florida. September 24, 1945. p. 9. Retrieved March 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  6. ^ Jimmy Powers (September 30, 1945). "Army Roughs Fliers, 32-0; Davis, M'Williams Score 2". New York Daily News. p. 69 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Karl Ruby (September 30, 1945). "Army Punctures Comets' Scrappy Line for 32-0 Win". The Courier-Journal. p. IV-3 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Aerial Battle Is Expected As Comets Meet Rockets Today". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. October 7, 1945. p. 2, section 4. Retrieved March 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  9. ^ Carrico, John (October 8, 1945). "6,000 See Rocket Aerials Bring Down Comets 15-8". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. p. 8. Retrieved March 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  10. ^ "Aces, Gremlins Play in Air Force Battle". Winston-Salem Journal and Sentinel. Winston-Salem, North Carolina. October 14, 1945. p. 16. Retrieved March 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  11. ^ "PDC Comets Cop By 7-0". The Charlotte News. Charlotte, North Carolina. October 15, 1945. p. 5B. Retrieved March 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  12. ^ "Bomber's Wing Vs. Model T". The Albuquerque Tribune. Albuquerque, New Mexico. October 20, 1945. p. 8. Retrieved March 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  13. ^ "Second Air Force Thumps Louisville's Comets 13 To 0". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. October 22, 1945. p. 8. Retrieved March 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  14. ^ Carrico, John (October 29, 1945). "Comets Turn On In Final Quarter To Subdue Troop Carriers 26-0". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. p. 10. Retrieved March 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  15. ^ "Comets' Comeback Tips Amphibs 16-7". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. November 5, 1945. p. 8. Retrieved March 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  16. ^ Wolf, Al (November 12, 1945). "Comets' Late Field Goal Nips Flyers, 9–7". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. 6, part II. Retrieved March 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  17. ^ "PDC Comets Rap Out 45-6 Triumph over Miami NAS". The Miami Herald. Miami, FL. November 20, 1945. p. B2. Retrieved March 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  18. ^ "Camp Peary Loses To AAF, 21-14, Before 10,000". Daily Press. Newport News, VA. Associated Press. December 3, 1945. p. 6. Retrieved March 27, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  19. ^ "Comets Lose 14-0". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. December 10, 1945. p. 10. Retrieved March 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .
  20. ^ "Final Log For Nation's Top Football Teams". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. December 2, 1945. p. 14, part I. Retrieved March 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com  .