Former American Legion Baseball player and Los Angeles Dodger Donny Tidwell chose to serve his country in Vietnam, where he was killed in action.
Sacrifice to Donny G. Tidwell of Diana, Texas, was far more than a mere baseball play.
At age 16, he was recruited by professional scouts as he played American Legion Baseball, where he built a reputation as an outstanding hitter and pitcher. One month after graduating from New Diana High School in 1966, he signed a contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
That summer he pitched for the team’s minor league affiliate in Ogden, Utah. Despite showing enormous potential as a baseball player, at season’s end Tidwell voluntarily enlisted in the U.S. Army and went to Vietnam as a member of the 25th Infantry Division.
On April 12, 1968, Cpl. Tidwell, 21, lost his life when his unit was attacked by heavily armed enemy soldiers during the Battle of Good Friday near the Cambodian border.
Legendary manager Tommy Lasorda later sent a message to his family:
“My first championship team was the 1966 Ogden Dodgers. I’ll always look at that roster and think of Donny Tidwell. Every player who starts out in pro ball has a dream of playing in the Majors. While several of his teammates eventually played in the Majors, Donny decided there was something bigger than baseball. His decision to enter the Army took courage as he set aside his dream of playing baseball to serve his country. The image of Donny eagerly taking the ball and pitching in a Dodger uniform during that summer of 1966 is something I’ve carried with me for more than 50 years. I am thankful the community of Diana, Texas, continues to honor a true hero and role model.”
- Baseball