{"id":19310,"date":"2013-02-20T00:00:06","date_gmt":"2013-02-20T08:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.todayifoundout.com\/?p=19310"},"modified":"2013-02-20T17:10:15","modified_gmt":"2013-02-21T01:10:15","slug":"the-guy-who-gave-hitler-the-finger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.todayifoundout.com\/index.php\/2013\/02\/the-guy-who-gave-hitler-the-finger\/","title":{"rendered":"The Guy Who Gave Hitler the Finger"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Robert_Young\"<\/a>Bob Young was born in Bakersfield, CA., on January 15, 1916.\u00a0 As a relay runner, he was to compete in the 1936 Olympics and would go on to win a silver medal.\u00a0 But despite these two historic (and very cool) accomplishments, Bob Young’s “coolest ever” accomplishment was a very unique one.\u00a0 He gave the finger to Adolf Hitler.<\/p>\n

Bob was born and raised in the Weedpatch area of California.\u00a0 He attended Kern County Union High School (later renamed Bakersfield High).\u00a0 After graduation, he studied and ran track at Bakersfield College. It was at Bakersfield College that Bob met his future wife, Alice.\u00a0 Although giving Hitler the finger may have been Bob’s coolest moment, his greatest achievement in life would undoubtedly be his happy, storybook marriage to his beloved Alice.\u00a0 The couple were married for an astounding 71 years.<\/p>\n

Bob and Alice only went out on one date at Bakersfield college before he headed off to UCLA.\u00a0 There, Bob studied economics and lettered three years in a row.\u00a0 Now 20 years old, he headed off to the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, the youngest member of Team U.S.A. that Olympics.\u00a0 At the Games, Bob recalled\u00a0 “Every day, Hitler would come into the stadium and everyone would give him the ol’ “Heil Hitler” salute… sometimes, if the gestapo wasn’t around, we’d give him the finger.”<\/p>\n

As mentioned, Bob’s relay team won a silver medal in Berlin, though of course he, and everyone else, were overshadowed by the immortal Jesse Owens and his capturing four gold medals at the legendary Olympic meet.<\/p>\n

Young later graduated from UCLA in 1937.\u00a0 He and his amateur relay team set the two-mile relay world record shortly thereafter.\u00a0 Unfortunately, Bob’s promising amateur athletic career ended in 1938 when he pulled a hamstring. But this was to be a bittersweet moment for Bob Young.\u00a0 After his injury, he landed a job with Standard Oil, which brought him back to his Bakersfield hometown.\u00a0 And back to Alice.<\/p>\n

They met again at the La Granada ballroom.\u00a0 The couple renewed their ties and fell in love.\u00a0 They were married on July 14, 1939.\u00a0 Bob and Alice raised two sons together, Michael and Gary.\u00a0 During World War II, Bob became an auditor and civilian administrative officer for the U.S. Navy at Terminal Island Naval Base & Shipyard in Southern, CA.\u00a0 After the war, Bob and Alice moved back to Bakersfield.<\/p>\n

In 1955, he became a pioneering grape farmer in Paso Robles.\u00a0 The young family lived on their vineyard for 22 years, made friends, and sold their grapes to the Paul Masson Winery.\u00a0 Bob began enjoying a happy and deserved retirement in 1977.\u00a0 Bob’s happy retirement included being the proud grandfather of 9 and the great-grandfather of 22.\u00a0 “He was a very humble man”, recalled his son Mike, “He was just a regular guy.”\u00a0 Bob Young died on February 3, 2011, at the age of 95.<\/p>\n

Bob was many things: husband for 71 years; proud father, grandfather and great-grandfather; winner of an Olympic silver medal; part of a world-record-setting relay team; successful grape farmer; and a guy who directly gave Hitler the finger.\u00a0 It doesn’t get any cooler than that.<\/p>\n

If you liked this article and the Bonus<\/span> Facts below, you might also like:<\/p>\n