We were a couple of young Navy guys, me from Pittsburgh and Dave Markley from Titusville. We were in the personnel office at the Philadelphia Naval Base on Oct. 13, 1960, watching the seventh game of the World Series.

The television set had been on since the game started. As the score see-sawed back and forth, the Pirates went ahead 9-7 in the last of the eighth. It seemed the Pirates were putting on one of their patented come-from-behind finishes, but the Yankees tied the game in the top of the ninth.

Vinegar Bend Mizell and Clem Labine were warming up in the Pirates bullpen. Looking ahead, Dave said, "Who would you bring in for the 10th?" I said, "Labine."

Bill Mazeroski stepped in and the first pitch from Ralph Terry was above the letters for ball one. Dave said, "What do you think?" I replied that I'd like to see another one just a little bit lower.

And then Maz swung and as Berra backed to the left-field wall and the ball was gone, you never heard a roar from those in the room that could have been louder. We screamed, we high-fived, we shook each other. Even a few who were rooting for the Yankees offered their congratulations and seemed to genuinely appreciate our joy.

AL MATLACK

Green Tree

I was 17 years old in September 1960 and my life was going downhill. The only "up" thing in my life was the Bucs. I decided to enlist in the Army and "be all that you can be."

I traveled to Fort Knox, Ky., on Sept. 15 for basic training and left the Bucs behind. Not allowed to have a radio or newspaper, I relied on a sergeant from New York for Pirates-Yankees World Series information.

On Oct. 13, out of the blue he told me to report to the mess hall. Oh-oh, what did I do now? As I walked in I heard the ballgame on a radio, and myself, the sarge and about 10 other NCOs listened to the last three or four innings of the game.

I thanked him many times in the last few weeks of basic training.

REGIS ORKWIS

Avalon

I was stationed with the Army's 38th Field Artillery in Darmstadt, Germany, on Oct. 13, 1960.

On that date, we were about to be inspected by a lieutenant colonel. We had individual rooms, two men to a room. This was a former World War II barracks that had been used by German soldiers, and you could still see the old Nazi swastika on the entrance of the barracks, even though they chipped most of it away.

When the lieutenant colonel was about to enter my room, Maz hit the home run and the place erupted. The lieutenant colonel thought there was an explosion, and he forgot to inspect my room.

That was one of the happiest days of my life.

RONALD TWARDOWSKI

Bridgeville

While serving on the aircraft carrier USS Valley Forge in the Navy in 1960, I was sent to firefighting school in Norfolk, Va., during the time the Pirates were playing the Yankees in the World Series.

Between classes we were getting bits and pieces of the score of game seven, but classes ended before the game ended with Mazeroski's home run.

When I got back to my ship and stepped through the hatch, I was greeted by a Southern shipmate who was a big Mickey Mantle fan. He was in a state of shock and disbelief while he told me the Pirates had won the World Series with Maz's home run. I will never forget that day.

MIKE DIMPERIO

Baldwin Borough

I was 23 and had suffered long for the Pirates. I was on KP duty in the Army at Fort Knox. The reason I knew the Pirates won was that the assistant cook was a Pirates fan and he would update the score for us.

When Maz hit the home run the cook screamed and ran out of the kitchen and went across the road to the day room to see a replay of the home run.

ED HVOZDOVICH

Canonsburg

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