All eyes were on Retired Col. Jack Brooks as he took the field at
Kauffman Stadium, the home of the Kansas City Royals on Memorial Day
2014, to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. With more than 37,000
baseball fans on site, that's a lot of eyes.
"I wanted to get this right," Brooks said, who said he practiced
throwing the ball in his back yard a few times to prepare for the day.
Preparing for important days is something that Jack Brooks knows better
than most. Seventy years ago, Brooks was a company commander at the
Normandy Invasion of World War II, and was assigned to the 1st
Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, of the 1st Infantry Division "Big Red
One." His company landed on the Easy Red Sector of Omaha Beach. For
anyone, that single day on the beaches of Normandy would be enough to
round out your resume, but Jack Brooks continued to serve not only for
the remainder of World War II, but again in Korea, and once more in
Vietnam. In each of these three conflicts, he served as a proud member
of the 1st Infantry Division.
At Kauffman Stadium, the crowd roared at the announcement of the 94
year-old pitcher. All remained standing as he aligned the ball in his
hand to form a two-seamed fastball and let it fly. The ball may have
bounced once or twice on its way, but the aim was right on target as it
made its way to Kansas City Royals Catcher Brett Hayes. The ovation was
deafening.
"I am honored just to be a part of this," Brooks said as he walked out
onto the field. "I am proud to represent some really great men."
http://www.army.mil/article/127339/70_years_later__Normandy_commander_showcases_arm_at_MLB_armed_forces_tribute/
Scott Gibson, U.S. Army Combined Arms Center
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