Poised to join the pitching elite, Marchildon was called for military duty and would serve in the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1943 to 1945. In August 1944, his plane was shot down and he was taken as a prisoner of war. He would spend nine months in a German prison camp. Upon his release and return to North America, Marchildon was almost immediately penciled into the A’s rotation. Though still traumatized by the war, Marchildon would register 19 wins for the A’s in 1947 – a season many consider to be one of the best ever by a Canadian pitcher.
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After his first full season in the majors, he was called for military duty and served in the Canadian army for three years. In his first start (4th appearance) upon his return, the powerful right-hander would no-hit the St. Louis Browns on September 9, 1945. Fowler remains one of only two Canadian to throw a no-hitter in the big leagues (James Paxton – 2018).
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Thank you to both Phil and Dick and all the men and women who served our country.