Received word today from an official in Minor League Baseball’s Gulf Coast League of the passing of former Gulf Coast League President Tom Saffell on September 10, 2012. He was 91 years old, and in World War II was a P-47 Thunderbolt fighter pilot in the 371st Fighter Group. Between April, 1944 and May, 1945, he flew 61 combat missions with the 405th Fighter Squadron. Hand salute!
For more information on the interesting baseball career and wartime service of Tom Saffell, see the page about him at the Baseball in Wartime Blog, at: http://baseballinwartime.blogspot.com/2010/05/tom-saffell-fighter-pilot.html
