Keith Birlem
{{Short description|American football player (1915–1943)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox gridiron football person
|image=
|birth_date={{birth date|1915|5|4}}
|birth_place=San Jose, California, United States
|death_date={{death date and age|1943|5|7|1915|5|4}}
|death_place=Polebrook, East Northamptonshire, England, United Kingdom
|number=23
|College=San José State
|position1=End
|playing_years1=1939
|playing_team1=Chicago Cardinals
|playing_years2=1939
|playing_team2=Washington Redskins
|NFL=BIR664464
|DatabaseFootball=BIRLEKEI01
|PFR=BirlKe20
|module = {{Infobox military person|embed=yes
|allegiance = {{flagicon|United States}} United States
|branch = File:Us army air corps shield.svg U.S. Army Air Forces
|serviceyears = 1942
|unit =
|battles = World War II
- European air campaign {{KIA}}
|awards =
}}}}
Keith G. Birlem (May 4, 1915 – May 7, 1943) was an American football end in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins and Chicago Cardinals.
Early life
Birlem was born San Jose, California and attended San Mateo High School.{{cite web|work=DatabaseFootball |url=http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=BIRLEKEI01 |title=Keith Birlem profile |accessdate=April 23, 2009 |url-status=usurped |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100217112040/http://databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=BIRLEKEI01 |archivedate=February 17, 2010 }}
Football career
Birlem attended and played college football at San José State University, where he played quarterback. He was inducted into their Sports Hall of Fame. He then played in the National Football League for the Chicago Cardinals and Washington Redskins in {{NFL Year|1939}}; he was moved to end as a Cardinal and appeared in six games (starting three) before being released and signing with Washington.{{cite book|last1=Anton|first1=Todd|last2=Nowlin|first2=Bill|title=When Football Went to War|publisher=Triumph Books|isbn=978-1600788451|pages=45–46|date=November 15, 2013}}
Military career
Birlem, who reached the rank of major during World War II, was killed trying to land a combat-damaged B-17 bomber at RAF Polebrook{{cite web|work=Central Coast Section |url=http://www.cifccs.org/history/Alumni%20all-stars-pre%20CCS.pdf |title=CIF/Central Coast Section Athletic Alumni |accessdate=April 23, 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725104657/http://www.cifccs.org/history/Alumni%20all-stars-pre%20CCS.pdf |archivedate=July 25, 2008 }} in England in 1943.{{cite web | work=Pro Football Hall of Fame | url=http://www.profootballhof.com/history/story.jsp?story_id=88 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20120909061057/http://www.profootballhof.com/history/story.jsp?story_id=88 | url-status=dead | archive-date=September 9, 2012 | title=The National Football League's World War II Casualties | accessdate=April 23, 2009 }} His bomber hit another plane and cut the tail off of it. Both crashed near the perimeter of RAF Polebrook and all 20 inside both planes died.
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{Footballstats |pfr=BirlKe20}}
- [http://www.profootballhof.com/history/general/war/worldwar2/honor_roll.jsp Football and America: WW II Honor Roll]
- [http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/033.pdf 303rd BG (H) Combat Mission No. 33-4 May 1943]
- [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=950&dat=19430519&id=TBgOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gX0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5801,2559780 Los Angeles Times Obituary]{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
- [http://www.historicmarkers.com/ca/2696-marin/73313 World War II Memorial, San Rafael]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Birlem, Keith}}
Category:Players of American football from San Jose, California
Category:American football tight ends
Category:San Jose State Spartans football players
Category:Chicago Cardinals players
Category:Washington Redskins players
Category:United States Army Air Forces personnel killed in World War II
Category:United States Army Air Forces officers
Category:Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in England
Category:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1943
Category:United States Army Air Forces bomber pilots of World War II