Fred "Buzz" Borries (December 13, 1911 – January 3, 1969) was an American

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

player who played halfback for the

Navy Midshipmen football The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) college football. The Naval Academy completed its final season as an FBS independent school (not in a conference) i ...

team of the

U.S. Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a United States Service academies, federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of ...

from 1932 to 1934. Borries was born in

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...

, and attended Lapeer High School in Louisville. As a junior halfback for the Navy Midshipmen in 1933, he scored the Midshipmen's sole touchdown to give Navy a 7–0 victory over the

Notre Dame Fighting Irish The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are the athletic teams that represent the University of Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish participate in 23 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I intercollegiate sports and in the NCAA's Division ...

; it was Navy's first victory in the Navy–Notre rivalry series in seven years. In 1934, he helped Navy score its first victory over the

Army Black Knights football The Army Black Knights football team, previously known as the Army Cadets, represents the United States Military Academy in college football. Army is a NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) member o ...

team since 1921. Against Army, Borries carried the ball 36 times and set up Slade Cutter's field goal for Navy to win 3–0. He was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American following his 1934 senior season and received the Naval Academy Athletic Association sword during graduation ceremonies. The sword is presented to the midshipman of the graduating class declared by the Association's Athletic Committee to have personally excelled in athletics during his years of varsity competition. After graduating the U.S. Naval Academy in 1935, Borries was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy. Nine years later, Borries was a commander serving aboard the U.S. Navy Casablanca class escort aircraft carrier the USS ''Gambier Bay'' (CVE-73) as the ship's Air Officer during World War II. As the carrier's Air Officer in charge of Flight Operations, he was able to launch all of the ship's Grumman FM2 "Wildcat" fighters and Grumman TBM "Avenger" torpedo bombers of VC-10 Squadron while the ship was under heavy fire from Japanese navy battleships and cruisers during the Battle off Samar in Leyte Gulf. After the ''Gambier Bay'' was sunk by enemy shellfire, Borries took charge of a group of the ship's life rafts and was credited with saving the lives of 200 of this fellow crew members during their 45 hours adrift in the waters of the Pacific. Borries was later awarded the

Bronze Star The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

for his heroic conduct under enemy fire during the battle, his leadership while adrift, and saving the lives of his crew members. Borries was inducted into the

College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were vote ...

in 1960.National Football Foundation, Hall of Fame
Buzz Borries Member Biography
Retrieved April 5, 2015.

References

External links

USS ''Gambier Bay'' (CVE-73) & Composite Squadron VC-10
official website
USS ''Gambier Bay'' (CVE-73) & Composite Squadron VC-10
association website {{DEFAULTSORT:Borries, Buzz 1911 births 1969 deaths All-American college football players All-American college men's basketball players United States Navy personnel of World War II College Football Hall of Fame inductees Navy Midshipmen football players Navy Midshipmen men's basketball players Basketball players from Louisville, Kentucky Players of American football from Louisville, Kentucky United States Navy officers American men's basketball players

References

Further reading

External links