LOUISVILLE BATS MAKE SPECIAL PLANS TO HONOR VETERANS ON MEMORIAL DAY
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Louisville Bats and Humana are partnering to bring a mobile replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to Louisville Slugger Field beginning on Memorial Day, May 25. The Bats will also make a POW/MIA Chair of Honor dedication before their Memorial Day game with the ceremony scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. before a 4:05 p.m. first pitch against the Toledo Mud Hens.
The mobile display, titled “Bringing Home the Wall” and created by Tom and Dee Twigg, honors the 58,000-plus men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Vietnam War and provides an opportunity to veterans, family members and citizens who are unable to visit the original Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. to pay their respects. The 46-by-8-foot model will be located in Louisville Slugger Field’s Hall of Fame Pavilion and be open for viewing from 3-7 p.m. on Monday, May 25 and from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. on Tuesday, May 26 and Wednesday, May 27.
The Chair of Honor program was created to bring awareness to the ongoing Prisoners of War/Missing in Action situation. Since World War I, over 92,000 American soldiers are unaccounted for. When installed at public facilities, the Chair of Honor, which will remain unoccupied, serves as a reminder of the POW/MIA issues we face. The POW/MIA Chair of Honor will be permanently located at the top of Section 130 of Louisville Slugger Field.
The Bats’ Memorial Day game will also serve as the team’s Military Appreciation Day. To honor those who have served our country throughout the years, all veterans, active military, military family members, reservists and national guardsmen will receive free field reserved tickets with valid I.D., VSO membership card or DD Form 214. The 113th Army Band from Ft. Knox will also be performing before the game.
The Bats have averaged 8,912 fans per game at Louisville Slugger Field since its opening in 2000 and have totaled over 9.4 million fans through 15 seasons. Tickets for all regular season games are available. The entire 2015 Bats schedule, including updated promotions and special events, can be found at batsbaseball.com. Single-game tickets may be purchased online, by calling 1-855-228-8497 or by visiting the Louisville Slugger Field box office. Full and partial season tickets, along with group outings and suite rentals are available by calling the Bats front office at 502-212-2287.
