We've been collecting Benny Friedman memorabilia for a fair number of years and came across this very rare autograph, differing from what is normally seen in the hobby. It was signed during WW2 when Friedman was a Lieutenant in the Navy; signed "Lt. Benjamin Friedman D.V.S - U.S.N.R." (circled on the photo). This and other signatures appear in a Navy Blue Jackets Manual owned by a Leo Kubacki during the war. Other signatures inside the front cover include Carl Mulleneaux, who played six seasons for the Green Bay Packers and later coached college ball, Johnny Rigney, a pitcher for the Chicago White Sox, and Eddie Riska, an All-American basketball player at Notre Dame who also played in the National Basketball League.
Friedman enlisted in the Navy during the World War in 1942, at the age of 37, and was discharged in December of 1945, holding the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
