MWL1 Dayton Dragons

Hometown Heroes Celebration Night at Fifth Third Field

Published on May 18, 2012 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Dayton Dragons News Release


Dayton, Ohio - The Dayton Dragons, in conjunction with the Dayton Development Coalition, will host the first of two "Hometown Heroes Celebration Nights" at Fifth Third Field on Saturday, May 19th when the Dragons host the Great Lakes Loons. The game starts at 7 p.m., but the activities start on the plaza at 6 p.m.

As part of the season-long celebration of the Hometown Heroes program, the DDC will take time to pay tribute to all service men and women associated with Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the Springfield Air National Guard Base.

During the game, the Dragons will honor 10 Airmen recently returned from overseas duty in addition to presenting a video greeting card on the Dragons video board. The Airmen were deployed from WPAFB around the world including Afghanistan and Iraq. The greeting card will be from Lieutenant Colonel Jorge Arzola, who is currently stationed at Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan. Arzola's family will be in attendance on Saturday.

Lieutenant General Thomas Owen will also be in attendance Saturday to throw a ceremonial first pitch and welcome home the returning Airmen. Lt. General Owen is the Commander of the Aeronautical Systems Center at WPAFB. As commander, he leads the Air Force's center of excellence for development and acquisition of aeronautical systems. The center is responsible for the management of more than 556 Air Force, joint, and international programs, and executes an annual budget of $23 billion. It employs a work force of approximately 10,000 people located at WPAFB and 38 other locations worldwide.

Colonel Tim Lawrence, Commandant of the Air Force Institute of Technology, will address the crowd after the top of the first inning and also swear in a group of Air Force recruits.

Festivities for the Celebration Night will begin with military displays on the Fifth Third Field plaza at 6:00 p.m. Other pregame activities include the display of a giant American flag by children of local Airmen, release of white doves, and the Wright-Patterson Honor Guard will present the colors. Cassandra Pittman, Senior Airmen in the 178th Fighter Wing Air National Guard based in Springfield, will perform the national anthem. Pittman will also sing God Bless America.

The next "Hometown Heroes Celebration Night" is scheduled to take place on Saturday, August 25th when the Dragons host the West Michigan Whitecaps. The game starts the final homestand of the 2012 regular season.

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