Monmouth College Athletics

Bobby Dunlap was a 155-pound star quarterback who was “worth his weight in wildcats” according to the 1943 edition of Ravelings, the Monmouth College yearbook. Also described as the biggest little man on campus and “a little man with a big heart,” he won three varsity letters in football, two in track and one in basketball.

As great as Dunlap’s accomplishments were on the gridiron, none compared with his bravery on the battlefield during World War II. Dunlap, a commanding officer in the Marine Corps, was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for gallantry for his actions during the Battle of Iwo Jima in February of 1945.

He went on to coach at the junior high and high school level for 20 years, and Warren School named a track meet after him. His high school alma mater, Abingdon, adopted the nickname “Commandos” in his honor.