Elder Baseball Hosts Veterans Appreciation Game
Elder Baseball hosted its first Veterans Appreciation Game on Saturday, April 19. Nearly 60 veterans took part in the pregame ceremonies in honor of their service to our country.
Each veteran was recognized by name and years of service, and many took part in a first pitch ceremony, tossing a baseball to their son, grandson, or great-grandson on Elder's or Lakota West's team.
During the ceremony, Elder revealed its newly-installed POW/MIA chair dedicated to the memory of the 92,000 brave American soldiers unaccounted for and the sacrifices each made in service to our country. The family of former longtime teacher, coach, and athletic director, Mike Honold '56, who, having lost several players and students during the Vietnam War (11 total), headed up Elder's care package program in the late '60s/early '70s. Mike passed away in late 2022; however, his family members were on hand for the ceremony, including his son, Mike '80, an Army veteran himself, and his daughters Coleen and Pam, and several grandchildren. His son Kevin, also an Army veteran, was unable to attend.
Members from the Green Township VFW Post 10380 provided a color guard for the event, and the Veterans Service Commission of Hamilton County set up shop to provide valuable information and resources for interested vets. Following the pregame ceremonies, the VFW Post made a generous contribution to the Hank Mueller '66/Elder Veterans Scholarship Fund.
Several current Elder students also took part in the day's events, including members of the Support the Troops Club, who led the veterans onto the field, junior Caleb Audette, who played "Taps" during the POW/MIA chair ceremony, and junior Charlie Pille, who strummed our National Anthem on his guitar.
Many thanks to Elder grad and assistant baseball coach John Dressman '89 for his leadership and organization of the event!
Back
During the ceremony, Elder revealed its newly-installed POW/MIA chair dedicated to the memory of the 92,000 brave American soldiers unaccounted for and the sacrifices each made in service to our country. The family of former longtime teacher, coach, and athletic director, Mike Honold '56, who, having lost several players and students during the Vietnam War (11 total), headed up Elder's care package program in the late '60s/early '70s. Mike passed away in late 2022; however, his family members were on hand for the ceremony, including his son, Mike '80, an Army veteran himself, and his daughters Coleen and Pam, and several grandchildren. His son Kevin, also an Army veteran, was unable to attend.
Members from the Green Township VFW Post 10380 provided a color guard for the event, and the Veterans Service Commission of Hamilton County set up shop to provide valuable information and resources for interested vets. Following the pregame ceremonies, the VFW Post made a generous contribution to the Hank Mueller '66/Elder Veterans Scholarship Fund.
Several current Elder students also took part in the day's events, including members of the Support the Troops Club, who led the veterans onto the field, junior Caleb Audette, who played "Taps" during the POW/MIA chair ceremony, and junior Charlie Pille, who strummed our National Anthem on his guitar.
Many thanks to Elder grad and assistant baseball coach John Dressman '89 for his leadership and organization of the event!
Cincinnati’s First Catholic Diocesan High School
