There's a statue of Jerry Coleman outside at Petco Park in downtown San Diego. It's there because this terrific guy, who passed away on Sunday, was a longtime San Diego Padres' broadcaster. He was well known for his "Oh doctor" catchphrase, as he was for delightfully mangled offerings such as, "Reliever Rich Folkers is throwing up in the bullpen." Others may recall Coleman's role on four World Series championship teams in the 1950s with the Yankees.
There is no statue large enough, however, to pay proper tribute to this Marine Corps fighter pilot who twice interrupted his career to serve in WW11 and the Korean War - as a dive bomber in the Pacific in the former case. At a time when military service has become an abstraction to most Americans, and we pursue the idiocracy of certain tweaking twits, let's remember what the pride, honor, dignity and service of people like Jerry Coleman.
Twitter @jessicamcwade