Cincinnati Reds Honor Vietnam "Hometown Hero"

Local Veteran Honored As Reds’ Opening Day Hometown Hero
Eagle Country
By Travis Thayer
April 04, 2017

Ron Spurlock was honored as the Cincinnati Reds Opening Day Hometown Hero on Monday, April 3. Photo by P.G. Gentrup.

The Cincinnati Reds came up on the short end of the scoreboard, but Opening Day was still memorable for one southeastern Indiana hero.

Rising Sun resident Ron Spurlock was honored as the Cincinnati Reds Opening Day Hometown Hero on Monday, April 3.

Spurlock was introduced to the largest crowd in Great American Ball Park history at the end of the second inning, and was presented with a Reds cap, certificate and Cincinnati Reds challenge coin.

After graduating from Vevay High School, Corporal Spurlock entered the United States Marines in 1969 and served until 1971 when he was honorable discharged.
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Yogi Berra World War II Veteran Received the Navy's Lone Sailor Award

Yankees Hall of Famer, Navy vet Yogi Berra dies at 90
The Associated Press
By Mike Stewart
September 23, 2015

His wife once asked Berra where he wanted to be buried, in St. Louis, New York or Montclair.
"I don't know," he said. "Why don't you surprise me?"

New York Yankees legend and Baseball Hall of Famer Yogi Berra, girst lady Michelle Obama, center, and Dr. Jill Biden, left, escort Iraq veteran Tony Odierno onto the field so he can throw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the first game of the 2009 World Series between the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies at Yankee Stadium on Oct. 28, 2009.
(Photo: Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

NEW YORK — The lovable legend of Yogi Berra, that ain't ever gonna be over.

The Hall of Fame catcher renowned as much for his dizzying malapropisms as his unmatched 10 World Series championships with the New York Yankees, died Tuesday. He was 90.

Berra, who served as a sailor in World War II, received the Navy's Lone Sailor Award in 2009. An announcement from the Navy Memorial at the time said he exemplified the Navy's core values.

"Our honorees are living examples of how service to country changes lives and helps develop leaders," said retired Rear Adm. Edward Walker Jr., president and CEO of the Navy Memorial, in 2009.

Berra interrupted his baseball career during World War II to enlist in the Navy, and he served aboard a missile boat during the Allied invasion of Normandy in 1944. He first took the field for the Yankees in 1946 and finished his Hall of Fame career in 1965.
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Yogi Berra was interviewed back in 2004

Trained at Little Creek Base in Norfolk, Virginia, Berra proudly served the U.S. Navy from 1944-1945 when he was just 18. Berra helped soften up German defenses and ran messages from Omaha Beach to Utah Beach. He also participated in a second attack on France, receiving a medal from the French government for his efforts.

Oh, and he also coined the phrase, “It ain’t over till its over!”

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Chicago White Sox Honor Fallen Soldier's Family

Soldier killed in Afghanistan honored at Sox game
Chicago Sun Times
WRITTEN BY MAUDLYNE IHEJIRIKA
POSTED: 08/28/2015,

When the White Sox invited Pam Toppen to attend Friday night’s game with her family, she was grateful for the invitation in honor of her late son, 19-year-old U.S. Army PFC Aaron Toppen.

Relatives of Aaron Toppen were given a framed White Sox jersey at Friday's game. They are (left to right): Aaron Toppen's brother-in-law Jerry Gralewski; his sister Amanda, holding 6-month-old Aubrey; his uncle Jack Winter, holding the jersey; his mother, Pam Toppen; and his sister, Amy Toppen. His niece Taylor is seated. Aaron Toppen died last year in Afghanistan.
Maudlyne Ihejirika/Sun-Times

But she said she never expected the plush suite behind home plate, or the surprise presentation during the Sox vs. Mariners game at Cellular Field — when the family was called out on the field to receive a standing ovation from the crowd, and a framed Sox jersey in honor of Aaron, a baseball fanatic.

“It was just unbelievable,” she said, teary-eyed, after the family came off the field in the second-inning.

“When the crowd gave him a standing ovation, and the Sox gave us his jersey, the tears started flowing,” she added. “Our mission in life is to pay it forward, to help others. We could be mad about what happened, but that’s not who we want to be. And that won’t bring Aaron back.”

Toppen, 55, of southwest suburban Mokena, lost her son last June 9, when he was killed in Afghanistan — along with four American Special Operations Forces members and one Afghani soldier — in the deadliest instance of friendly fire since that war began in 2001.

An Air Force B-1 bomber airstrike mistakenly killed Toppen and the others during a battle with insurgent forces in southern Afghanistan. An Army investigation blamed poor communications.
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Iraq Veteran Tries Out for Tigers, And He's an Amputee!

WATCH: Iraq War veteran, amputee tries out for the Tigers
CBS Sports
By Dayn Perry
Baseball Writer
March 10, 2015

Here, in the words of MLB.com's Jason Beck, is what happened to Daniel Jacobs during the Iraq War:
Jacobs lost his left leg below the knee from a roadside bomb nine years ago, as well as toes on his right foot and three fingers on his left hand. For a while, he might have lost his will. He wasn't expected to survive a flight home, then wasn't expected to walk again, then wasn't expected to serve again. He did all that and more.
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MLB: Are Veteran Tributes Too Much?

A veteran says enough is enough when it comes to tributes for the soldiers
NBC Sports
Hardball Talk
Craig Calcaterra
Oct 28, 2014

KANSAS CITY — We’ve touched on the idea of conspicuous patriotism and tributes to the soldiers before — ESPN’s Howard Bryant wrote an excellent article about it last year — but today we have a thought-provoking piece from a veteran, Rory Fanning, talking about tribute concerts and the public thanking of the troops at sporting events:

"We use the term hero in part because it makes us feel good and in part because it shuts soldiers up (which, believe me, makes the rest of us feel better). Labeled as a hero, it’s also hard to think twice about putting your weapons down. Thank yous to heroes discourage dissent, which is one reason military bureaucrats feed off the term . . . Then you have Bruce Springsteen and Metallica telling them “thank you” for wearing that uniform, that they are heroes, that whatever it is they’re doing in distant lands while we go about our lives here isn’t an issue. There is even the possibility that, one day, you, the veteran, might be ushered onto that stage during a concert or onto the field during a ballgame for a very public thank you. The conflicted soldier thinks twice."

Fanning makes the argument that by doing things like these, we necessarily give our approval to the country’s military policies of the past 13 years and stifle dissent. I think there is a lot of truth to that. But more broadly, I think the obligatory manner in which we have imported patriotism and honoring of the military into baseball has caused us to lose sight of the fact that — even if doing these things are good and admirable — when we make our patriotism mindless, we lose an essential part of it, which is thoughtfulness. And, yes, to Fanning’s point, when we make our acts of patriotism obligatory we take away another essential thing: the freedom of dissent.

I think we’ve reached that point in baseball. Major League Baseball’s charitable efforts, specifically for the Welcome Back Veterans and Wounded Warrior charities are admirable. And there is no question in my mind that they are well-intentioned. But, at times, one does feel the sense of formality and a sense of the obligatory with respect to all of this. And no small amount of corporate sponsorship is involved, in effect, allowing corporations to ride on the back of patriotic sentiment in an effort, intentionally or unintentionally, to bolster their own image.
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Are there ever too many things being done for them? My vote is HELL NO!

Trisha Yearwood Sings National Anthem as Baseball Honors Veterans

Go to link and watch the video on this. Stunning!

Yearwood sings anthem; Staff Sgt. throws first pitch
Kansas City Royals
Alyson Footer
MLB.com
October 21, 2014

KANSAS CITY -- Trisha Yearwood has performed the national anthem at several World Series, but no matter how many of these she's asked to do, it never gets old.

"I love to do it," the country music star said while taking in the scene from the field during batting practice before Game 1 on Tuesday night at Kauffman Stadium. "It's such an honor."

Yearwood, a chart-topper since releasing her debut album in 1991, is in the middle of touring with her husband, Garth Brooks. When she got the call asking her to sing the anthem, she was hoping she could fit it in her schedule. The timing was perfect.

"I knew when the window of the World Series was, and I said, 'If I can do it, I'd love to do it,'" she said. "I was so excited that I got to be here for Game 1."
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MLB World Series Game One Veterans and Military Families

While this is wonderful, it isn't totally. They said "To date, a total of approximately $17 million in grants has been awarded to nonprofit agencies and hospitals supporting returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and their families' greatest needs, focusing on treatment and research of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI)." Which means older veterans and families are not remembered.

First four World Series games dedicated to important causes
Kansas City Royals
Mark Newman
MLB.com
October 20, 2014

KANSAS CITY -- Five years ago, Major League Baseball introduced a significant addition to the World Series that would involve everyone in some way, even the players and umpires. Because only the first four games were a sure thing, each of those was dedicated with a theme of community service, serving as a high-impact backdrop for what happened on the field.

It all began in New York, with Game 1 dedicated to military veterans and their families. First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of the vice president, joined Commissioner Bud Selig at a nearby Veterans Administration hospital, spending an hour with veterans and then participating in pregame ceremonies before the Phillies played the Yankees.

Today, the annual World Series Community Initiative program is an established tradition that gives two clubs and their fan bases even greater rewards for reaching the ultimate stage of international attention. The Kansas City Royals and San Francisco Giants will each have two dedicated game themes -- starting almost exactly the way it did in 2009 -- to raise awareness for important causes associated with charitable initiatives and MLB partners.

Game 1: Veterans and Military Families.

As it did last year for the opener in Boston, this dedication will highlight support of the Welcome Back Veterans initiative. Selig will be joined on Tuesday afternoon by Royals chairman David Glass and president Dan Glass; Royals Hall of Famer John Mayberry; U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald; and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral James Winnefeld in a visit with veterans at the Kansas City VA Medical Center Honor Annex. Then there will be a special on-field pregame ceremony and other activities will take place at the ballpark.

Since 2008, MLB and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation have committed more than $30 million to Welcome Back Veterans (WelcomeBackVeterans.org). To date, a total of approximately $17 million in grants has been awarded to nonprofit agencies and hospitals supporting returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and their families' greatest needs, focusing on treatment and research of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI).
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MLB releases Army vet tosses grenade-style first pitch video

Video Of Army Vet Throwing ‘First Pitch’ Like A Grenade Goes Viral
KPBS
By Beth Ford Roth
Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Retired U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Brian Keaton is making headlines for the unprecedented way in which he threw out the first pitch at Saturday's Giants vs. Nationals game.

Keaton lobbed the baseball like a grenade, and video of his stunt is going viral.

Keaton wrote on his Facebook page about the experience:

"I wanted to say a big thank you to all who has supported the 'pitch' I had a blast! I do feel a little guilty that all the worse off soldiers than myself was not able to do it! Thank you again for all the heartfelt gratitude!"
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Army vet tosses grenade-style first pitch
Oct 4, 2014
10/4/14: Retired U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Brian Keaton throws the ceremonial first pitch, belly crawling before tossing it like a grenade

Boston Red Sox Win!

Red Sox Win World Series With 6-1 Win Over Cardinals In Game 6
(VIDEO/PHOTOS)
AP
By RONALD BLUM
Posted: 10/30/2013

BOSTON -- BOSTON (AP) — There hasn't been a party like this in New England for nearly a century.

Turmoil to triumph. Worst to first.

Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Koji Uehara and catcher David Ross celebrate after getting St. Louis Cardinals' Matt Carpenter to strike out and end Game 6 of baseball's World Series Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2013, in Boston. The Red Sox won 6-1 to win the series. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

David Ortiz and the Boston Red Sox, baseball's bearded wonders, capped their remarkable turnaround by beating the St. Louis Cardinals 6-1 in Game 6 on Wednesday night to win their third World Series championship in 10 seasons.

Shane Victorino, symbolic of these resilient Sox, returned from a stiff back and got Boston rolling with a three-run double off the Green Monster against rookie sensation Michael Wacha.

John Lackey became the first pitcher to start and win a Series clincher for two different teams, allowing one run over 6 2-3 innings 11 years after his Game 7 victory as an Angels rookie in 2002.
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This isn't a sports blog but considering how much the Sox have done with their foundation for veterans and others, I think I will be forgiven for being very proud of my home town boys! Boston Red Sox Home Base

Army Ranger vet representing Sox at All-Star Game

Army Ranger vet representing Sox at All-Star Game
MLB.com
By Jacob Thorpe
7/10/2013

SEATTLE -- In a profession of heroes, Joe "Kap" Kapacziewski stands out. The soldier underwent 42 surgeries on his leg after a grenade explosion badly wounded Kapacziewski in Iraq in 2005. Still, the doctors couldn't fix his leg and were forced to amputate. That sacrifice made Kapacziewski a hero. It's what he did next that will make him a legend.

With a prosthetic limb where his right leg used to be, Kapacziewski returned to active combat with the Army Airborne Rangers, the first ever to do so after an amputation.

Kapacziewski went on to serve five additional combat deployments, and in 2010, he saved a fellow soldier's life by dragging the wounded warrior to safety despite heavy enemy gunfire. Now Kapacziewski mentors other veterans with Challenged Athletes Foundation's Operation Rebound.

For that extraordinary bravery and service, Kapacziewski was recognized on Wednesday when Major League Baseball and People Magazine announced him as the Red Sox's representative among the 30 winners of their "Tribute for Heroes" campaign. This nationwide initiative aims to honor service members while supporting Welcome Back Veterans, which addresses the needs of veterans returning from combat.
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Baseball thanks veterans for their service

Baseball thanks veterans for their service
Several programs throughout big leagues aid and pay tribute to soldiers
Major League Baseball
By Meggie Zahneis
5/25/2013

Baseball and veterans: two of the most American institutions in the country.

And, now more than ever, they're closely linked to one another.

Marine Corporal Chad Ohmer, a Purple Heart recipient, was recognized Friday as the Reds' Hometown Hero.(MLB.com)

Across Major League Baseball, players and coaches will don Marine Corps-licensed jerseys and caps on Memorial Day, along with participating in a moment of silence before all games on Memorial Day weekend.

And that's just the start.

"The league itself thinks veterans are very important," said MLB vice president of community affairs Tom Brasuell. "We have a program called Welcome Back Veterans which was a vision of one of the owners [Fred Wilpon] of the New York Mets to make sure that veterans who were returning from Iraq and Afghanistan had the services they needed when they returned. Initially, we were providing grants to a number of non-profits who were helping vets and their families return to civilian life with jobs and job training, mental health and housing issues."

In 2009, the Robert B. McCormick Foundation partnered with MLB on what is now known as the Welcome Back Veterans Initiative, chipping in 50 cents to the dollar on MLB's initial $10 million donation.

Now, the Welcome Back Veterans Initiative sponsors seven university hospitals nationwide for research and treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) to aid veterans.
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MLB teams are wearing camouflage for Memorial Day for PTSD and TBI

MLB teams are wearing camouflage for Memorial Day
Memorial Day uniforms unofficially unveiled
USA Today Sports
By MIKE FOSS
May 21, 2013

These authentic uniforms are being sold for $256.99 at MLB.com, and before you balk at the price, consider 100% of MLB’s proceeds are going to Welcome Back Veterans, which is a program designed to provide grants to hospitals and clinics that provide post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury treatment to veterans.
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Amputee Iraq veteran gets his own baseball card

Amputee veteran gets his own baseball card
A veteran gets the hero treatment he deserves
USA Today
By CHRIS CHASE
April 22, 2013

A veteran who lost his leg in Iraq and recently participated in a tryout with the Los Angeles Dodgers is getting his own trading card, thanks to the folks at Upper Deck.

Daniel “Doc” Jacobs will be honored in a set the company will release in July. The card was unveiled this weekend. read more here

Major League Baseball and PEOPLE magazine "Tribute for Heroes"

MLB Press Release
4/4/2013 9:15 A.M. ET
MLB and 'People' Magazine Announce "Tribute for Heroes" Campaign Honoring the Nation's Veterans and Military Service Members

30 Winners to be Recognized at the Pre-Game Ceremony of the 2013 MLB All-Star Game on July 16th on FOX and A Winner to be Featured in 'PEOPLE'; Nominations Accepted Beginning Today at TributeforHeroes.com

Major League Baseball and PEOPLE magazine today announced the "Tribute for Heroes" campaign, a national initiative that recognizes veterans and military service members and builds upon both organizations' commitment to honoring our country's heroes.

Beginning today and running through May 17th, fans are encouraged to visit TributeforHeroes.com to nominate an active or former member of the Armed Forces of the United States or Canada for the chance to represent their favorite MLB team at the 2013 All-Star Game.

Once all the nominations are reviewed, three veterans/military service members per Club (90 finalists) will be selected by MLB, PEOPLE, and a celebrity panel of judges, who will be announced at a later date. Fans will then be encouraged to vote online from June 9th through June 30th for their Club favorite. All 30 winners, one representing each MLB Club, will be announced on July 10th. They will be included in All-Star Week festivities and recognized during the All-Star pre-game ceremony leading up to the 2013 All-Star Game at Citi Field on July 16th on FOX. A "Tribute for Heroes" winner will be featured in PEOPLE magazine the week of the MLB All-Star Game.

The "Tribute For Heroes" campaign will support Welcome Back Veterans (welcomebackveterans.org, powered by MLB.com), an initiative of Major League Baseball and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, which addresses the needs of veterans after they return from service. Major League Baseball has committed more than $23 million for grants to hospitals and clinics that provide post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) treatment to veterans and their families in a public/private partnership with "Centers of Excellence" at university hospitals throughout the country.

As part of its 2013 charity initiative, "PEOPLE First: Help America's Veterans," PEOPLE magazine is partnering with Welcome Back Veterans and three other nonprofit organizations that are committed to providing assistance to military men and women, and will feature them in multiple editorial stories in PEOPLE throughout 2013.

"It is our privilege to honor the returning veterans and active military service members who risked and continue to risk their lives to protect our great nation," said Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. "Major League Baseball is proud to use the national stage of the Midsummer Classic to celebrate the courage and sacrifices made by our Veterans and active military service members."

"For close to 40 years, PEOPLE has told stories of everyday heroes whose acts of courage, commitment, strength, and compassion have changed the lives of others," said PEOPLE Managing Editor Larry Hackett. "PEOPLE is thrilled to be part of 'Tribute for Heroes,' a campaign that gives back to the brave men and women who have served in the military." PEOPLE Publisher Karen Kovacs adds: "We are excited to continue our partnership with MLB, an organization that shares PEOPLE's commitment to recognizing the selfless work of everyday individuals across the country. We encourage all fans and readers to nominate a veteran in their community."

Currently, Welcome Back Veterans funds programs at The University of Michigan, Rush University Medical Center, Duke University, Emory University, Weill Cornell in New York City, UCLA and the Boston Red Sox' Home Base Program at Mass General Hospital in Boston. These institutions are developing new programs and strategies to improve the quality, quantity and access to PTSD and TBI treatment for veterans, particularly those returning from duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Iraq veteran who lost leg tries out for Los Angeles Dodgers

Iraq veteran who lost leg tries out for Los Angeles Dodgers
Published March 01, 2013
Associated Press

GLENDALE, Ariz. – A war veteran from Iraq who lost part of his leg in an explosion has tried out for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Daniel "Doc" Jacobs was among 80 hopefuls Thursday at the spring training complex of the Dodgers.
He was encouraged to attend by Hall of Famer and former Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda. read more here

Iraq veteran lost eye, got Cubs logo

Amazing what they can do now. Long gone are the days of black patches plus the attitudes of the wounded. Great story.

War veteran loses eye, gets Cubs logo on prosthetic eye
CBS Sports
By Matt Snyder
Senior Blogger
February 21, 2013

An Iraq war veteran lost an eye in combat, and now he's chosen a prosthetic eye with a Cubs logo where the pupil and iris would normally be. It's all kinds of crazy and awesome. go here for more

Triple amputee Marine walks out, throws first pitch, crowd goes wild!

Triple amputee Marine walks out, throws first pitch
Participant in Zito's Strikeouts for Troops Foundation, Kimmel honored before Game 2
By Alyson Footer
MLB.com
10/25/12

SAN FRANCISCO -- Nick Kimmel has been a baseball fan his entire life, but he never could have imagined four years ago that the game he loves would play such an important role in helping him get through recent events that were both tragic and challenging.

In 2008, Kimmel decided to forego a partial scholarship offer to play baseball at Arizona State University, and instead enlisted in the Marines. Today, he's piecing his life back together after losing both legs and an arm in an explosion while on his second tour of duty last year in Afghanistan.
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Navy Cross recipient gets Father’s Day surprise

Navy Cross recipient gets Father’s Day surprise
JUNE 19TH, 2012
BATTLE RATTLE
POSTED BY GINA HARKINS

Cpl. Christopher Farias received a Father’s Day surprise after he threw out the first pitch at the Dodgers game on Sunday — his dad was behind the catcher’s mask.

Farias thought he was throwing out the first pitch as “veteran of the game,” but there was a bigger plan in action.

According to his dad, this was the first Father’s Day in eight years that the 11th Marines Field Artillery School instructor wasn’t called away on duty. So he hid behind the catcher’s gear and got behind the plate to catch his son’s ceremonial first pitch.

Farias, based in Dodger-territory at Camp Pendleton, Calif., said he could tell it was his dad as soon as he caught the ball and started walking towards him. Check out the video capturing the surprise.
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Major League Baseball supporting PTSD programs

04/19/2012
Major League Baseball All-Star Summer Community and Charitable Legacy to Benefit Greater Kansas City and Beyond
More Than $3.5 Million Planned Toward MLB All-Star Themed Initiatives and Projects

Major League Baseball will host a series of community and charitable initiatives and projects leading up to the 83rd MLB All-Star Game that will leave a legacy benefiting Greater Kansas City and beyond. This MLB All-Star Summer community effort will complement the midsummer celebration of Baseball and the Kansas City Royals, impact the lives of underserved youth and local veterans, support cancer research, highlight the importance of environmental consciousness and honor the history of Negro Leagues Baseball.

Rebuilding Together
(Kansas City VA Medical Center Annex) – The project will provide special services for female veterans and all veterans (male and female) afflicted with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) by creating family-friendly, baseball-themed play areas in the waiting area of the clinic for patients’ children, improving aesthetics of the clinic offices and meeting areas and enhancing the landscape surrounding the facility, which was recently added to the Kansas City VA Medical Center system. Bank of America, the official bank of Major League Baseball, will support this project both financially and through employee volunteerism. read more here

World Series Game 1 To Veterans

UPDATE

Wounded Marine from Camp Pendleton honored at World Series
October 19, 2011

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Hello sports fans. Your heroes will be on your TV soon while you pop open your favorite beer and carry your snacks to the TV. Bet you waited a long time especially if one of these teams are your "boys" and you don't want to miss one single second of the game.

Sorry that your game time will be interrupted by reality but that's what you get for not paying attention all along to men and women risking their lives for what you enjoy.

What's the problem? Why do you ignore them? Is it because you don't support them being in Iraq or Afghanistan? That's a shame since back in 2001 over 90% of the country was all for sending them to retaliate against Osama. Against troops in Iraq? Well there again, the majority of the people were all for that too. The men and women you approved of sending didn't get to just go home when you decided it should be over.

Every political debate involved Iraq while Afghanistan was forgotten about. Did you bother to ask what was going on when no one talked about there but managed to mention 9-11 every time they opened their mouths? Did you care back then? Is it because you think they are a losing team? They aren't. They haven't lost any battles.

Did you use the excuse the media doesn't report on any of it? Lost that one too. There are over 13,000 posts on this blog alone and they came from media reports. You could have found all the updates you wanted if you bothered to look but they would have had to matter to you first.

Back to the game. Did you track your favorite team as if you knew them? You don't really know them. You don't know much about their lives but you know their faces and their career info. You know enough to think you care about them. Many a day has come and gone when a player retires and it is as if you felt you lost a friend.

Think about that the next time one of them comes home in a casket with a flag over it. The next time one of them comes home with wounds you don't want to look at. The next time one of them needs help finding a job, keeping a roof over their heads, feeding their families or someone caring enough to listen when they are trying to recover from where you sent them. These men and women are on our home team but the lack of attention they get in this country is stunning.

Michelle Obama, Jill Biden, MLB Dedicate World Series Game 1 To Veterans

The Rangers and Cardinals will share the Busch Stadium spotlight with another set of stars on Wednesday night: veterans and military families.

For the third year in a row, the first game of the World Series will be dedicated to our troops and to raising funds and awareness for two critical nonprofits, MLB’s Welcome Back Veterans and the White House’s Joining Forces, MLB.com reports. Michelle Obama and Jill Biden will also partake in the pre-game military ceremony and will field questions from fans through Facebook and Twitter.

"We are honored to have first lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden join us for the 2011 Fall Classic to recognize the courageous men and women who serve the country as well as their families," Commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement on MLB.com.
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