FORT BENNING, Ga., (Sept. 18, 2013) -- Be part of something historic Saturday when the Fort Benning Doughboys take on the North Georgia Sports Academy at 2 p.m. for the home opener at Doughboy Stadium.
This event is free and open to the public. Concessions will be available. Youths 15 and younger may participate in the halftime Punt, Pass & Kick competition.
Before the game, the Doughboy Stadium parking lot will be open for tailgating at noon. A prize will be awarded to the best tailgate area.
Fort Benning Soldiers built Doughboy Memorial Stadium as a memorial to American Infantrymen killed in World War I. It was funded by contributions from Soldiers around the world. The word "Doughboy" was a slang term used for Infantrymen during World War I.
The dedication of Doughboy Stadium was celebrated Oct. 17, 1925, with a game between the Blue Tide of Fort Benning and a team from Oglethorpe University from Atlanta before a crowd of 9,000.
Fort Benning's decisive 27-6 victory foreshadowed a lengthy period on success for Fort Benning football. Dwight D. Eisenhower, who earned five stars before becoming president of the United States, helped coach the Doughboys to an all-Army championship the following year.
Fort Benning quickly earned a reputation as a contender among colleges throughout the Southeast.
The Doughboys played teams from the universities of Florida, Georgia and Alabama.
The 1946 Doughboys team, coached by Capt. Bill Meeks, outscored opponents 353 to 45 in six games and captured the Service Championship. Meeks went on to work with the Dallas Cowboys.
Perhaps the greatest of all the Doughboy teams was the the team led by Pat Dye, future coach of Auburn. In 1964, the Washington Touchdown Club named Dye Army Player of the Year.
The success of the Doughboys waned when Fort Benning Soldiers were called to fight in Vietnam. Though the installation fielded post teams up until 1983, the Doughboys never recaptured the glory they experience in their early years.
Since Fort Benning resurrected the Doughboy Football season four years ago, the team has enjoyed a winning record against collegiate and club teams from across the region.
The season features the annual Doughboy Bowl between Fort Benning and the Columbus State University Cougars. This year, the Doughboy Bowl will move off post to the A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium at 7 p.m. Oct. 24.
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