Estate sale fresh out the attic from a man that brought this hole from Normandy 1944 victory paint German army m40 style helmet with lining that is coming apart but still intact see pics for lining details. Bill Hapac was born January 26, 1918. He lived on 15th and Laramie, in Cicero, above his fathers tavern. He graduated from Roosevelt Grade School after skipping two grades. During his senior year, he was All State in basketball and baseball. In basketball, he led the Suburban League in scoring with an average of 17.45 points per game. He accepted a scholarship to the University of Illinois, but took a gap year before starting classes in 1937. There, he played basketball and baseball. In 1940, he was named a Consensus All American in Basketball and an All American in Baseball. He was voted the 1940 University Of Illinois Athlete Of Year. Bill was also member of the College All Star team that defeated the Harlem Globetrotters. As Co-Captain of the 1940 Illinois Basketball team, Hapac scored 36 points in a game against the University of Minnesota. Hapac was drafted by the Detroit Tigers, but while waiting for spring training to begin, Hapac was inducted into the US Army and served from 1941 to 1946. He played bball for the Calvados Wheels, which was the USSTAF (air Force) basketball team for their Replacement Depot. Also played for the US Army team against a French team in Paris in Jan 1945 So the USSTAF replacement Depot w Hapacs dedication to his country would earn him the rank of Captain. Following the war, Hapac coached at Morton from 1952 until his death in 1967. Shortly after his death, the newly constructed gymnasium at Morton East was dedicated in his memory. This has all the history attached to Bill Hapac after bill died his wife remarried but the war relics where stashed in the attic till today. The helmet reads to pop from bill somewhere in France July 1944 a month after DDay!! The item “German Helmet M40 WW2 Army Authentic Bring Home D Day Normandy Victory France” is in sale since Friday, March 23, 2018. This item is in the category “Collectibles\Militaria\WW II (1939-45)\Original Period Items\Germany\Hats & Helmets”. The seller is “midnorthmerc82″ and is located in Chicago, Illinois. This item can be shipped worldwide.
- Country/Region of Manufacture: United States