Radnor Honors Football Legend, Military Hero Emlen Tunnell

Garrett Hill native Emlen Tunnell was the first African American to play for the New York Giants, the first African American to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the first African American to serve as a full-time assistant coach in the NFL. In 1999, The Sporting News' ranked Tunnell No. 70 in its list of the 100 Greatest Football Players of all time.

There's no disputing that Tunnell was a football great. But a lesser known aspect Tunnell's life, his military heroism, is even more awe-worthy.

It's the legacy of Tunnell's service to his country that Radnor celebrated on a sunny Sunday afternoon, Feb. 19, at Emlen Tunnell Park in Garrett Hill. Radnor Township dedicated a new flagpole to Tunnell in a military ceremony that lauded Tunnell's courage, initiative and loyalty.

"In his service to his country, as a professional athlete, as a member of this community, and as a husband and as a father, he gave his all and his best," said Rev. Jack Ross of Radnor United Methodist Church. "He is an example that [all] of us should follow."

Tunnell's "all" very nearly included his very life, on more than one occasion during his service in the United States Coast Guard.

On April 27, 1944, the USS Etamin, manned by the Coast Guard, was unloading 6,000 tons of explosives and gasoline when it was attacked by Japanese aircraft. A torpedo blew a 27x27 foot hole in the ship's side, placing all those aboard in danger, and lighting one man, Fred Shaver, on fire. Tunnell pulled Shaver to safety, suffering burns himself as a result.

"Emlen Tunnell didn’t run to safety, he ran towards [danger], grabbed him and put out the flames with his bare hands," Radnor Township Commissioner John Fisher said.  "That’s not a story you make up… that’s an amazing story of courage, of friendship, of humanity, that you just can’t duplicate, and it’s humbling."

Two years later, Tunnell saved a shipmate's life again. Tunnell's shipmate, Alfred Givens, fell off the dock into 32-degree water, and Tunnell immediately jumped to his rescue, suffering shock and exposure from his 15 minutes in the freezing water. 

Tunnell was nominated for a Silver Lifesaving Medal by the ship's commanding officer, despite the fact that African Americans were not customarily awarded medals at that time. Tunnell did eventually receive the Silver Lifesaving Medal, though it was awarded more than 30 years later, posthumously.

Tunnell's sister, Vivian Robinson, attended Sunday's ceremony, along with her daughter Catherine.

Watch video from the ceremony here.

Robinson recalled how when Tunnell first went to play football at University of Iowa, "people used to come for miles around just to meet him.  They weren’t hostile, they just wanted to see what he was like.  And when he'd come back [to Iowa], they used to meet him at the airport with a fire engine and ride him all through town."

That was after his success, of course. When Tunnell first went to play in Iowa, there was overt racism and hostility toward the man.

"I used to really be upset with the way they would carry on with him—it was hard. The first game ... they called him everything you could possibly think of that was bad. And then, three or four games later, the same people were out there screaming and cheering for him. So you see, people can change if they want to."

Despite Tunnell's popularity, Robinson and her family never got a big head about their relative's success. He was a hometown hero, but the family didn't treat him that way. "To me, he was just my buddy," Robinson said.

Sunday afternoon's flagpole dedication ceremony included speeches by Ross, Fisher, American Legion Post 668 Commander Martin Costello, Col. John Church (USMCR) and Captain James Carlson (USCG).

"[Tunnell] was one of the most beloved players in professional football and of course, we’ve recognized him for his efforts in professional sports," Fisher said. "But today, we’re going to recognize him not only for his dedication to his country, but to the neighborhood: to being an upstanding citizen, to leading the way for us and to setting a vision for what we can do—not what we can't do, but what we can do."