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Those Who Died That Others Might Be Free

 

Conrad Graff

 

Date and Place of Birth: 1920 New Orleans, Louisiana
Date and Place of Death: July 8, 1944 St Lo, France
Baseball Experience: Minor League
Position: First Base/Outfield
Rank: Staff Sergeant
Military Unit: US Army
Area Served: European Theater of Operations

 

Conrad Graff was a hero. A hero on the ballfield and a hero on the battlefield.

 

Conrad W "Connie" Graff was born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1920. He began his minor league career with the Waycross Bears of the Georgia-Florida League in 1939. The Bears released the first baseman shortly afterwards but he signed with the St Louis Cardinals organization in 1940 and played for the Gastonia Cardinals of the Tar Heel League, batting .274 with 45 RBIs in 109 games. He joined the Cooleemee Cards of the North Carolina State League in April 1941. Moving to the outfield, he batted .308 in 101 games. He was assigned to the Columbus Red Birds of the South Atlantic League in 1942 but entered military service on June 13 of that year.

 

Staff Sergeant Graff served with the US Army in Europe. He was killed in action on July 8, 1944 at St Lo, France.

 

In New Orleans, his sacrifice was recognized by service veterans who chartered a VFW post in his name - Connie W Graff Post 7322.

 

In 1948, Conrad Graff's body was returned to New Orleans. Services were held at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church and he was laid to rest at Greenwood Cemetery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to the Louisiana Division of the New Orleans Public Library; Jane McAllister, Assistant Reference Librarian at Davie County Public Library in Mocksville, NC; and the Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles for help with this biography.

 

Added August 13, 2006. Updated June 23, 2008.

 

Copyright © 2008 Gary Bedingfield (Baseball in Wartime). All Rights Reserved.