Today's photograph of the old Honolulu baseball/football complex has three Los Gatos connections. This is where Charlie Wedemeyer played high school football; it's where the Los Gatos High School football team played in 1968, and it was acquired by a local publisher and former San Francisco sports editor while accompanying a San Francisco baseball team on tour of Hawaii, the Philippines and Japan.
It was in this wooden stadium that Wedemeyer played high school football before moving to stardom at Michigan State and hence to a highly successful coaching career at Los Gatos High.
When Wedemeyer joined the faculty, this reporter incorrectly identified him as the son of Herman "Squirmin" Wedemeyer, a running back for the St. Mary's College teams of the 1930s. A correction pointed out that Herman was Charlie's older brother. To followers of television, Herman is a detective on Hawaii Five-O , which was rerun recently on KQED, Channel 9.
Last Saturday, Wedemeyer was given a 50th birthday surprise costume party by family and friends. The party, at Club J, celebrated his survival of an almost always fatal disease. Twenty years ago while he was Los Gatos High's football coach, Wedemeyer was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis--Lou Gehrig's disease-- and was given one to three years to live. He wasn't expected to live past his 30th birthday. From then on he has coached in a wheelchair and traveled worldwide as a motivational speaker. He has a special van from which he dismounts to an automated wheelchair and is accompanied by his wife Lucy, who is busy in real estate and also his constant nurse.
His role as a speaker has taken him to many parts of the United States, to other lands and to his native Hawaii. An Emmy-winning documentary was produced and a triumphant story of courage and love was shown on TV.
During his coaching career, Wedemeyer's varsity teams won numerous titles including the 1985 Division I Central Coast Section championship.
His autobiography, Charlie's Victory; Charlie & Lucy Wedemeyer as told to Gregg Lewis, has been a lively seller.
Almost immediately after winning the section title, throat surgery was necessary to save his life, and his speech box was sacrificed in the process. He forms silent speech with his lips, and those close to him are skilled at relaying his thoughts. He makes frequent public appearances and as adviser to the Los Gatos frosh/soph coaching staff, attends all practice sessions and games and stays for almost all of the varsity games. His son, Kale, is a member of the frosh/soph coaching staff.
The first indication of Wedemeyer's ailment came in the classroom, when chalk fell from his hand. The first indication that Lou Gehrig was ill with ALS came in front of his New York Yankees locker, when he fell and struggled to get to his feet. His teammates were reluctant to come to his aid for fear of offending the great centerfielder. The ailment later took his name.
The photograph of the Honolulu baseball field shows a full crowd for a baseball game. The expansive right field turf area was used for football games, including the first college Hula Bowl games. Imported bleachers were installed for football.
The sports editor who brought back today's photograph early in this century was my father, Hiland L. Baggerly, later owner-publisher of theLos Gatos Mail News.
The Los Gatos Athletic Association gave a framed copy of the photo to Charlie and his family.
The third Los Gatos connection with the Honolulu Stadium came when principal Fred Canrinus in 1968 renewed an old custom of sending a Bay Area prep football team (by ocean liner in the early days) to Honolulu for a postseason game.
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, May 15, 1996.
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