Padres Honor Medal Of Honor Hero William Carpenter Sunday

President Obama honoring William Kyle Carpenter with the Medal of Honor. Mandatory credit goes to http://www.gannett-cdn.com/

San Diego’s long, rich military tradition goes back over one hundred years, but the city’s notoriety as a military town definitely grew as a result of World War II. Over the decades, its been home to baseball legends such as Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, and Jerry Coleman who all served in the United States within different branches of military.

In addition, the San Diego Padres organization is second-to-none when it comes to its support of the United States military. Its Military Appreciation Day every Sunday during home stands reflects the team’s continual support of honoring those military personnel stationed from Coronado to Camp Pendelton and around the nation. This support is something that has spread throughout the rest of Major League Baseball, but it definitely gains national recognition when certain monumental and historic ceremonies take place in San Diego.

This Sunday, the Padres will honor Medal of Honor recipient Marine Corporal William Kyle Carpenter when he throws out the ceremonial first pitch before the series finale with the Dodgers. Recently, Carpenter received the nation’s highest honor from President Barack Obama after sacrificing his own life by jumping on a grenade to protect his fellow soldiers from the blast. He has undergone 40 surgeries and two-half years of of extensive treatment to recover from his wounds, but he is the eighth living member of the armed forces to receive Medal of  Honor from the war in Afghanistan. For those in attendance and watching at home, it will be an emotional and patriotic  ceremony when he is surrounded by the thousands of Marines who will be in attendance.

As highlighted on the Congressional Medal of Honor Society website,

"Lance Corporal Carpenter and a fellow Marine were manning a rooftop security position on the perimeter of Patrol Base Dakota when the enemy initiated a daylight attack with hand grenades, one of which landed inside their sandbagged position. Without hesitation, and with complete disregard for his own safety, Lance Corporal Carpenter moved toward the grenade in an attempt to shield his fellow Marine from the deadly blast. When the grenade detonated, his body absorbed the brunt of the blast, severely wounding him, but saving the life of his fellow Marine."

By the Padres’ honoring Carpenter on Sunday, it is reinforces the organization gratitude it has toward the men and women of the military, but it is a constant reminder for everyone to think about the sacrifices that are made by those in uniform.