SAN DIEGO – Chargers Owner Alex G. Spanos is known as a philanthropist, family man and American success story.
A lesser-known fact about Spanos: He’s also a military veteran.
The National World War II Museum in New Orleans honored Spanos with an American Spirit Award on Monday.
The museum made the announcement as part of an initiative to explain the role football and the NFL played in the war effort. More than 1,000 NFL players and personnel enlisted, and the museum acknowledges the NFL sold millions of dollars worth of war bonds and donated funds from exhibition games to related charities.
Though he was not in attendance, Spanos was honored along with owners Bud Adams (Tennessee), Tom Benson (New Orleans), William Clay Ford (Detroit) and Ralph Wilson (Buffalo).
Spanos enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1942, training as a pilot before transferring out of flight school to become a B-29 gunner until 1946. Spanos helped more than 145 World War II veterans and their families from Northern California visit the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.
He also headed a campaign during the Gulf War crisis that raised more than $4.5 million for the United Service Organizations, the largest fundraising event in the organization’s history.
ROOTING FOR SDSU: Prominent members of the Chargers’ organization wished the San Diego State basketball team luck on Wednesday as the Aztecs prepare to face Connecticut in the West regional semifinals Thursday in Anaheim, Calif.
“It’s wonderful to see how strongly Aztec fever has gripped this community,” Chargers President Dean Spanos wrote in a letter to San Diego State President Dr. Stephen Weber.
“It seems everyone in San Diego, whether they went to SDSU or not, is cheering on ‘their’ Aztecs. … All our best wishes for a win this Thursday over UConn!”
No. 2 seed SDSU, making its first-ever appearance in the Sweet 16, is two wins from reaching the Final Four. Tipoff is at 4:15 p.m. The SDSU-UConn winner will face the Duke-Arizona winner on Saturday with a spot in the Final Four at stake.
“I’m excited about the game tomorrow and I wish San Diego State the best of luck,” Head Coach Norv Turner said. “I think it’s great for the city of San Diego.”
Turner said the Chargers will be rooting for the Aztecs against No. 3 seed UConn.
