It was a great day at SBC Park in San Francisco as the SF Giants honored veterans and active military troops on July 5th. The day and game were dedicated to all military personnel that are serving or have served our country. There were over 3000 Legionnaires and 500 troops on hand to enjoy the salute to the military and a day of fun and baseball in the warm San Francisco sun.

There was a near sell-out crowd at the game as tens of thousand of Giants fans applauded the troops and veterans during a special 3rd inning announcement. The applause lasted for a whole minute as the troops and veterans stood up and shook hand with nearby fans. Even the players on the field waved to the honored guests. It warmed my heart to see the wonderful out poring of support from the fans.

Legionaries were given a special ticket rate for the game and were able to purchase their tickets online. Giants Season Tickets holder donated over 500 tickets, which were give free to the troops that showed up wearing their informs. No one was turned away from the game. I saw all the services represented along with their families.

The Honor Guard from Distinct 13 marched onto the field for the opening ceremonies along with Honor Guards from the military. They stayed for the National Anthem while a Fire Boat from the San Francisco Fire Department strayed water in McCovey Cove. The Coast Guard also positioned a ship in the area.

Commander Fred Walton and Bud (last name not know) were special guests of the Giants along with Distinct 13 Commander Lupe Spinner. Many other Legionaries received special tickets to enjoy the day of baseball. Many thanks to Julie DeMaria of the American Red Cross and Tony Stowell of the USO at SFO Airport office who helped me put this activity together. We are already planning a bigger and better event for next year.