During World War I George Etcell spent two years in the U.S. Army with the 3rd Division on the French Marne, seeing action in World War I, and sustaining a severe wound in the St. Mihiel Drive. He later joined the US Navy and served as a fireman and shipfitter on board the battleship Arkansas in 1921. As a boxer, Etcell won the Crescent Athletic Club tournament in March 1916 and then represented the Union Settlement Athletic Club for several years. Etcell was runner-up at the 1921 Navy Championships, and was also the Navy Pacific Fleet featherweight champion, although the year is unclear. He turned professional and actually appears to have fought as a pro in 1919, before the 1920 Olympics. One newspaper noted that he was eligible because he was still considered an amateur for being in the Navy. His last known fight was in 1925, retiring with a professional record of 10 wins, 4 losses, and 8 draws, although he may have fought as George Etchell briefly in 1928. After Pearl Harbor, Etcell received the Navy Cross.
United States