Husky Legend: Fritz Waskowitz
November 07, 2015 | Football
By Maureen Donovan
At a time when America was finally starting to crawl out of the depths of the Great Depression much to the efforts of President Roosevelt's New Deal, came a series of triumphs for Husky football. Behind the stellar passing and kicking of today's Husky Legend and former captain, Fritz Waskowitz, the Huskies became West Coast Conference champions and saw a trip to the Rose Bowl in the latter half of the 1930s.
However, with triumph came sacrifice for Waskowitz. With World War II looming in the distance, his football career was cut short in order to serve his country. Tragically, Wascowitz made the ultimate sacrifice, losing his life for his country before ever having the chance to return from the war.
Recruited out of his Chicago neighborhood, Waskowitz became one of over 75 men recruited in the Chicago area by Washington alumnus, Dr. Alfred Strauss. Dr. Strauss, a Husky football star himself in the early 1900s, was active in the recruitment and establishment of scholarships for student athletes at the University of Washington.
Waskowitz, listed as a halfback, donned the purple and gold from 1935-37 for the Huskies under head coach and College Football Hall of Famer James Phelan. In 1936, Washington posted a 7-2-1 record, while going a perfect 7-0 in conference play. Named Pacific Coast Conference champions, the fifth-ranked Huskies made the 1937 Rose Bowl for just the third time in program history. However, Washington lost the contest 21-0 to third-ranked Pittsburgh.
The following season, Waskowitz captained the 1937 Huskies to a 7-2-2 record and a berth to the Pineapple Bowl in Honolulu, Hawaii. In a midseason Apple Cup matchup with Washington State, Waskowitz threw an 80-yard touchdown pass to Merle Miller, which stood as the longest pass in program history at the time. To this day, the 80- yard pass is tied for 11th in Husky Football history. The 13th ranked Huskies finished the season with a 53-13 victory over Hawaii on their own turf in the Pineapple Bowl.
Known for his 'rifle-like' arm and strong leg, Waskowitz led the Huskies in passing, total offense, and punting in 1937. He racked up 633 yards of total offense including 407 passing and 226 rushing. In addition, Waskowitz punted for a total of 944 yards with a 31.5-yard average.
Following his career at Washington, Wascowitz signed on to play football professionally with the New York Giants. However, on the verge of war, came a shift in his plans.
Amidst the beginning of World War II, Wascowitz enlisted in the Navy and became a B17E-bomber. Stationed at Hickam Field in Honolulu, Hawaii in the fall of 1941, Wascowitz planned to participate in the increasingly popular recreational football leagues on the island. Just several months later though, Wascowitz was badly burned in the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, which led the United States to officially enter into World War II.
Having recovered from his injuries, Wascowitz was sent to the South Pacific to fight in the Battle of Guadalcanal. In a raid over the Solomon Islands, Japanese fighter planes singled out Wascowitz as a “special target” because the baby blue color of his aircraft differed from the rest of the outfit. He miraculously returned to safety in his aircraft named the original 'Blue Goose', a term still commonly used among airmen today.
Roughly a month later on September 29, 1942, Wascowitz was said to be in good spirits because he was about to head off on his last flight before being sent to another location. Known for possessing a fighting spirit, he refused to turn from an attack on a Japanese cruiser until he had dropped the last bomb on his rack. Tragically, Wascowitz was shot down and killed in the process.
Wascowitz flew more than 50 successful bomber missions in his aircraft, the 'Blue Goose' before making the ultimate sacrifice for his country. He became one of Washington's first casualties of the war. For his outstanding service to the military, he received the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal, and the Purple Heart.
Shortly after learning of his death, the University of Washington football team took locker number 45, with the simple inscription of 'Fritz' on it, out of use in commemoration of Wascowitz's dedication to both his country and the university. One of the UW'strainers, Earl Clark, etched a purple star into the face of the locker, denoting his title as team captain.
A beloved figure in the Seattle area, a Civilian Conservation Corp camp located in North Bend was renamed Camp Waskowitz in his honor. The camp was built in 1935 and is one of only two remaining CCC camps still intact today in the United States. Camp Waskowitz was posted in the National Register of Historic Places in 1993 and is now utilized by Highline Public Schools for outdoor education programs.
The Waskowitz Foundation, a charitable foundation supporting environmental programs for Highline Public Schools, has been enriching the educational experience of students in Washington since 1967, when it was incorporated in the state.
Regarded as a local hero, Waskowitz also has a tavern named in his memory. The Blue Goose Tavern, named after Wascowitz's iconic aircraft, was established in Port Orchard in 1948 and is currently still in operation.
Today, five members of his family, stretching across three generations, will represent Waskowitz on Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. While he lost his life over 70 years ago, Wascowitz's legacy is still very much alive. Recognized as the first Husky sports captain to give his life for his country, Wascowitz is more than deserving of the title Husky Legend, which will cement his place in Washington history from this day forward.
