Padres Lose a Courageous Hero Several months later, Nay’s draft board changed his exemption status, and on August 8, 1944, he was drafted into the U.S. Army. By then, he was married to Lucy Villa and had a toddler son named Manuel. Nay was later assigned overseas to the 376th Infantry Regiment, 94th Infantry Division, also known as “Patton’s Golden Nugget.”
An outfielder, Nay later starred for San Diego High School and American Legion teams, gaining a city-wide reputation for his all-around skills. By the time the U.S. entered WWII, all of Nay’s brothers had either enlisted or been drafted into the military, with the exception of Nay, who was given a 4-F exemption due to a heart murmur. Padres Recruitment Soon after the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Roosevelt issued an edict that became known as the “Green Light Letter,” a ruling that would forever alter the course of Nay’s life. “I honestly feel that it would be best for the country to keep baseball going,” a response to baseball commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis’ question whether baseball should be suspended for the duration of the war. Hoping to bolster pro baseball’s rosters that quickly became depleted, Roosevelt directed the game’s major and minor leagues to continue playing as a morale booster for the country. At that time, Nay was playing for the Rohr Aircraft company team, whose schedule included exhibition games against the Padres of the Pacific Coast League. Based on his performance, he was recruited as the Padres’ opening day left fielder on April 8, 1944.
On March 22, 1945, Nay was killed in action, trying saving a life.
The war continued for two more months until Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945. In 2010, Manuel “Nay” Hernandez was honored by the Padres as part of a continuing display in the team’s Military Zone, located beneath the right field stands at Petco Park.
Bottom right, third from end, Nay Hernandez San Diego High School Baseball Team, 1937 (Photo courtesy©Tony Millan Collection)
Manuel “Nay” Hernandez Padres, Pacific Coast League, 1944 (Photo courtesy©Tony Millan Collection)
SD Padres Honoring Manuel Nay Hernandez Presents flag to his sister, Tina Hernandez (Photo courtesy©Tony Millan Collection)
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San Diego Latino Legacy – Timeline • Milestones • Stories
Chapter 9 – Proudly We Serve
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