Event Raises Awareness of DAV Services
Spectators at the Marshfield Chaparrals baseball game on June 27 at Hackman Field will get to see more than just good plays on the field. As part of Military Appreciation Night, an Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter will arrive around 7 p.m. before the game begins.
The night includes the Marshfield American Legion Post 54 Color Guard and a singing of the National Anthem, concluding with the landing of the helicopter. After the landing, the helicopter will be available for kids to explore and for photo opportunities. Also on display will be a Humvee with Howitzer (this will be shot with blanks), the Marshfield Police Department Tactical Response Vehicle, and Disabled American Veterans (DAV) transportation van and information table.
Air Force veteran Dan Rogers first organized the event in 2016, and this will be the second of what he plans to make a biennial event. “It went over really big,” he said. “They said that was the largest group they’ve ever had down there for any Chaparrals game.”
His brother, Chief Warrant Officer Tom Rogers of the Army National Guard, will be piloting the helicopter. Last year, his unit was deployed in Iraq but are returning to make the festivities this year.
Dan Rogers is a member of DAV chapter 57 in Marshfield and raises awareness for the organization and what it does for veterans. The DAV van, for example, transports veterans back and forth to veterans hospitals in other cities for free. The chapter also raises funds for veterans homes throughout the state.
For veterans who aren’t aware of the benefits they get through Veterans Affairs (VA), there will be an informational booth for them. “They can find out who to contact and how to get some of these benefits that they earned,” Rogers said.
The Black Hawk helicopter will remain during the game, during which the Chaparrals will play against the Waupaca Lakemen. The Chaps, coached by Pittsville’s Justin Rayburn, are 6-1 on the season. Home games are family friendly and include in-game contests and other fan-interactive fun. All remaining home games in 2018 will be live streamed and available for viewing at www.zaleskisportsshow.com.
