Our Back Pages brings you tidbits of Nashville history from near and far, chronologically speaking.
This week, we return to the fateful week of Dec. 7, 1941, as chronicled in the Nashville Banner. As the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor plunged America into a new reality, the war came home to Nashville in its earliest days.
Even though the nation had been scrambling to get onto a war footing for more than a year as German forces rolled across Europe, much of the population continued to hope the U.S. could stay out of the conflict. The weekend chatter in the Banner reflected less weighty matters of public concern.
On Friday afternoon, Dec. 5, sportswriter Dudley "Waxo" Green reflected on one aspect of Vanderbilt's recently completed football season, in which the squad had posted an 8-2 record. Young scribe Green recounted a chat with a young assistant coach for the Commodores:
Vanderbilt's 7 to 0 victory over Alabama was the high of the season for Line Coach Bear Bryant. But the Commodore mentor had another thrill that all but put the triumph in the shade.
