Jackies: George Halas and the 1918 Naval Station Great Lakes Bluejackets Football Team

Over a century ago, college football was expanding in popularity in the United States but war in Europe raged. By 1917, the U.S., a nation with over 100 million people but only 130,000 active military members at the outbreak of World War I, was brought into the conflict. Millions of Americans were called into service, and training grounds and bases became home to football teams that competed with the best college programs in the nation.

Told through the voices of the past and historians of the present, Jackies is the story of the most prominent of these service teams, the Naval Station Great Lakes Bluejackets, located just north of Chicago. This three-part podcast not only describes how the Jackies were led on the field by a future Pro Football Hall of Famer in George Halas, but intertwines the story of the Bluejackets through the Great War, the origins of service football, and how shortly after the 1919 Bluejackets Rose Bowl appearance, service teams like Great Lakes propelled the game to launch into what is now the present-day National Football League.

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HOST - DAN CHAREST

Dan Charest grew up in Massachusetts and has been a fan of the New England Patriots since Drew Bledsoe was quarterbacking the team. After college, Dan enlisted in the U.S. Navy. Dan served over eight years on active duty, first as an electrician and later as a Mass Communication Specialist on assignments at: Naval Station Great Lakes, Ill.; Sasebo, Japan; San Diego, Calif.; and Naples, Italy.

While in Napoli, Dan began his master’s degree in journalism and media studies online through the University of Alabama. For Dan’s final thesis project he developed this podcast based around the idea for Jackies, always wondering why the base where he was stationed did not do more to display its vast football history from World War I and World War II. As a sports history fan, master’s student, and media professional with the U.S. Navy, Dan decided to research and tell the story of the football team from where he served for part of his active service.

Dan left active duty in 2023, relocated back to the United States, and continues to serve in the U.S. Navy Reserve.