“Irish” Mike Casey vs. Bolo Bataan

On this date 70 years ago, members of the 143 Field Artillery Regiment at Schofield Barracks in Wahiawā, Hawaii were entertained by “5 Big Bouts” of professional wrestling action.  Included on the card that evening were matches between clear-cut “faces” (pro wrestling good guys), as evidenced by the service branch prefixes in their names, and menacing, identifiably-foreign-sounding “heels” (pro wrestling villains).  Thus, in a contest between “Soldier” Axel Madsen and “The Bad Greek” Harry Dellis or “Irish” Mike Casey and Bolo Bataan, there would be no question as to which competitor the troops should be cheering for.  Pro wrestling proved a popular attraction at military bases and posts throughout WWII, with matches like this taking place at Schofield Barracks on a tri-weekly basis; the card shown here being the 31st in the series.

This post by Collin Makamson, Family Programs & Outreach Coordinator @ The National WWII Museum