Notable Service Members in the Olympics
January 01, 2022
The U.S. military has had quite the representation in the modern-Olympic games. With the start of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics just days away, we wanted to spotlight the incredible accomplishments some of our military service members have had on Team USA.
Military and the Olympics
Team USA has featured many members of the armed forces on its teams throughout the years. In the most recent Summer 2020 games, Team USA featured 17 soldiers, a Marine, and a Coast Guardsman.
One of which was First Lieutenant Amber English, a member of the Army Marksmanship Unit and a Logistics Officer, English went on to win a Gold medal in shotgun shooting and set an Olympic record of 56 in the Women’s skeet final.
Louis Zamperini – ’36 – U.S. Army Air Corps
Runner Louis Zamperini competed in the Berlin 1936 Olympic Games and later served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. His story of surviving a plane crash into the Pacific Ocean, adrift for 47 days at sea before being captured by Japanese forces, was written in the book Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption.
Harrison Dillard – ’48, ’52 – U.S. Army
Sprinter Harrison Dillard restarted his athletic career after serving three years in the U.S. Army during World War II as a member of the all-Black 92nd Infantry Division, better known as the Buffalo Soldiers. He would win four gold medals over two Olympic Games and is the only man ever to win gold in the 100-meter dash and 110-meter hurdles.
Willie Davenport – ’64, ’68, ’72, ’76 – U.S. Army
Runner Willie Davenport was in the U.S. Army when he qualified for his first Olympic Games in Tokyo 1964. Davenport competed in three more Olympic Games, winning a gold and a bronze, and later participated in the 1980 Lake Placide Winter Olympics as a bobsledder.
David Robinson – ’88, ’92, ’96 – U.S. Navy
U.S. Naval Academy graduate David Robinson nicknamed “The Admiral”, served two years at the Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay before embarking on a career in three Olympics Games and becoming one of the best professional players. Most notably, Robinson was part of the 1992 U.S. Olympic “Dream Team” that won gold in basketball.
John Davis – ’40, ’48, ’52 – U.S. Army
Weightlifter John Davis served four years in the U.S. Army during World War II, stationed in the South Pacific. He won gold medals at the London 1948 and Helsinki 1952 Olympic Games. At his peak, Davis held every world record in his weight class and became the first man to break the 400-pound barrier in 1951 with his 402-pound clean and jerk.
Lones Wigger – ’64, ’68, ’72 – U.S. Army
Regarded as the best shooter in U.S. history, Lones Wigger went into the U.S. Army after college and served two tours in Vietnam teaching marksmanship. He participated in three Olympic Games and won two gold medals and one silver.
Winter 2022 Olympics
In the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympics, Team USA includes three Vermont National Guard soldiers participating in the Biathlon – they are Spc. Sean Doherty, Spec. Leif Nordgren, and Spec. Deedra Irwin. Spc. Frank Del Duca and Spc. Hakeem Abdul-Saboor will participate in the bobsled team. Sgt. Emily Sweeney and Airman 1st Class Kelly Curtis will represent Team USA in luge and skeleton, respectively. In nordic combined, look for Spc. Jasper Good and Spc. Benjamin Loomis.
Everyone at Legal Help For Veterans can not wait for these games to get started. We know Team USA and its service members are ready to bring home the gold!