On Labor Day Weekend in 2011, the US Open began saluting members of the five branches of the military. Five years ago, the decision was made to specifically acknowledge Lieutenant Joe Hunt.
Hunt was fabled… Being the only player in US tennis history to win the Boys’, Junior, Intercollegiate and Men’s titles. At the 1943 US National Championships, on a viciously hot and humid afternoon, Hunt, a Naval Lieutenant downed Jack Kramer, a Coast Guard Seaman, 6-3, 6-8, 10-8, 6-0 on the grass at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, New York.
After Kramer’s last shot sailed long, Hunt’s legs gave out. Cramping brought him down… so he sat on the baseline while his opponent hopped the net, then sat down next to the winner, and shook his hand. Kramer, who had his own health issues dealing with food poisoning during the tournament, was similarly exhausted. Years later, he kidded that though he was weary, if he had played better in the last set, he may have been able to force Hunt, because of his cramping, to default.
On February 2, 1945, fifteen days before his 26th birthday, Hunt was flying a Navy Hellcat, a WWII combat aircraft, on a training mission when it went into a dive and crashed in the ocean off the coast of Daytona Beach, Florida.
Eighty-one years later Joe Hunt has still not been forced to default…
Thanks to his great uncle, also named Joe Hunt, he continues to be remembered. “Seattle Joe”, who besides practicing law in Seattle, Washington, is the family historian and dedicated to keeping the tennis world aware of how exceptional Joe Hunt was as a player and an individual.
As he does annually, Hunt attended the August 31st Lieutenant Joe Hunt Military Appreciation Day celebration and offered, “Once, again, the USTA and US Open did a masterful and most thoughtful job of creating a full day centered on showing gratitude to the men and women of the military. From dawn to the late hours of the night session, the day was comprised of meaningful moments… moments of joy, moments of excellence, moments of gratitude, moments of honor, moments of inspiration and, of course, moments of patriotism.
“The day began with an energetic and fun clinic on Arthur Ashe Stadium organized by Tony Stingley from the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida. We were all given Lt. Joe Hunt Military Appreciation T-shirts and jumped onto the court for a series of fun exercises and drills. After a quick change and breakfast in the Players’ Cafeteria, we moved to the Officials’ Lounge to meet Lt. General JJ DeVoes and Lt. General Nadja West, Retired, who were the guests of honor.
“Lt. General DeVoes is currently the Surgeon General of the Air Force and the Space Force. Lt. General West was the first Black female active duty Major General and the highest-ranking woman to have graduated from the US Military Academy. While the comments they made were meaningful, their presence at the US Open added immeasurably to the significance of the day.” Hunt pointed out that Shannon Miller, a gymnast who was a seven-time medalist at 1992 Barcelona Olympics and is an ovarian cancer survivor, was also on hand… She has spent much of her post-Olympic career working with the military to honor her two grandfathers who served in WWII.
“The opening ceremonies took place at 11:00 a.m. at the Arthur Ashe statue in front of the stadium,” Hunt said. “USTA President Dr. Brian Hainline spoke eloquently expressing the US Open’s gratitude to those who served and sacrificed so much. He gave a moving tribute about Lt. Joe Hunt. Following his comments, Lt. Gen. DeVoes spoke about excellence and service, themes that are fundamental attributes in the military. He remarked that Lt. Hunt, in leaving his life as a famous tennis star in Southern California to enlist at the Naval Academy, serve his country in a time of great peril and ultimately give his life, embodied the attributes that are so important today in both tennis and the military. (As you might imagine tears welled up in my eyes.) Dr. Nadja West, though she spoke last, was eloquent particularly about what a privilege it was to serve her country.”
Ordinarily, recollections of this sort would have summarized the day perfectly, but Hunt had more to offer… “Not to be forgotten was Army Colonel James Tom. He works in the Pentagon and his primary job is to ensure that the Vietnam veterans are not forgotten. Every day he and his team try to find individuals around the country and help them because the nation failed to do so when they returned from service in that difficult war. In a solemn and poignant moment, two Vietnam veterans were introduced in front of the Ashe statue and received commendation pins from Col. Tom.”
And there was more emotion to come as Hunt noted, “The breaking point for me occurred with the arrival of WWII Navy veteran Arthur Grubiner, who served on a Navy Transport Ship in the Pacific Theatre from late 1943 to 1946. Arthur, now 98, was drafted out of high school at 18 and served through to the end of the war. The minute I saw him I became emotional, wondering if this might be the last time any professional sporting event would have the immeasurably privilege of being visited by a true WWII hero.
“Lunch took place in the President’s Suite at Ashe Stadium. Dr Hainline warmly welcomed all the attendees and introduced the guests of honor, including Arthur Grubiner. The entire room, around 200 people, spontaneously rose to their feet and gave him a lengthy ovation.”
Hunt and his wife Kathy were participants in the first match of the day on Ashe Stadium. He explained, “We had the privilege of escorting Grubiner for the coin toss in the match between Jessica Pegula and Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain.”
He added, “Guests of honor and other veterans, during the rest of the day and evening sessions on both Ashe and Armstrong Stadiums, were part of the pre-match coin toss ceremonies.
“For everyone involved, it was an incredible day.”
Title photo of Joe Hunt receiving the US Open trophy from the Everett Collection Historical