SUFFOLK, Va. — Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, historians say many Americans were more than willing to sign up to serve their country. However, a problem arose. Many of them were not physically or mentally equipped for war.
Carey Keefe is the author of a novel released in 2022 called, "Tide of Dreams," a story of how the U.S. Navy recruited football coaches to prep men for war. One of those men were was Keefe's grandfather.
Growing up, Keefe knew her grandfather was an all-star football player at the University of Alabama. However, it wasn't until after her godfather's funeral, that a military story was unearthed.
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"These men had a lot of grit, they were tough so there was no bravado," explained Keefe. "They never talked about it."
Dr. Timothy Orr teaches history at Old Dominion University. He says the attack on Pearl Harbor was a call to action.
"After the attack on Pearl Harbor, a great many Americans started volunteering in unheard-of numbers because of the great amount of anger and resentment that the Americans had toward the Japanese," Orr said.
Despite there being thousands of new cadets ready for combat, the Navy discovered that many of them weren't built for war.
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"Members of the Navy thought these guys were too soft physically and mentally, and they were not prepared for combat," said Keefe.
To solve this problem, the Navy created the V-5 Pre-Flight Training Program using sports like football to train the next generation of aviators.
Keefe tells the story, and her grandfather's role, in her novel.
"It's a story about the closest collaborating partnership in the history of college football, an untold story that has been lost," explained Keefe.
Across the nation, the Navy called on coaches and athletes, and 20,000 people applied for the program.
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"Football had all the components and skills needed for war, like quick reaction and concentration under pressure," said Keefe. "The U.S Military felt that games with explosive violence on the field like football was a really good sport that exhibited that."
According to Orr, American air missions in World War II required groups to work in a synchronized aerial motion.
"Sports on the ground teach that kind of teamwork and skill," explained Orr.
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Of the 20,000 people who applied to be a naval coach, 800 were chosen, including Keefe's grandfather along with Moseley and Bryant. Together they spent 30 days at the Naval Academy and were inducted as officers. Then, the three of them were sent to one of the program campuses in Athen's Georgia to get the men into shape.
"They were told to be merciless in the regiment showing no sympathy and pushing them to their limits because the cadets' lives depended on it," said Keefe. "Their fellow soldier's lives depended on it. The Navy and the country were depending on these coaches."
For 11 years, Keefe collected data and diaries about this program, these coaches and cadets who put aside their dreams for their country. After years of research, Keefe has bookmarked this brave chapter in history in hard and soft covers.
