Twins announce plans for 20th Armed Forces Appreciation Day presented by Thomson Reuters on Sunday, September 10 and special 9/11 remembrance on Monday
MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MN – The Minnesota Twins today announced plans for two special commemorations during the upcoming homestand at Target Field. This Sunday, September 10, the Twins, in partnership with the Minnesota National Guard, will honor and celebrate veterans and active servicemembers from all six branches of the U.S. Armed Forces during a special, 20th-anniversary edition of Armed Forces Appreciation Day presented by Thomson Reuters. This coming Monday, the Twins will join all Major League Baseball in remembrance of September 11, 2001.
Both Sunday’s Twins vs. New York Mets game at 1:10 p.m. and Monday’s Twins vs. Tampa Bay Rays contest at 6:40 p.m. will feature special pre- and in-game ceremonies and tributes, including a Target Field flyover prior to each game.
Tickets Available
Tickets for the Twins vs. New York Mets game at 1:10 p.m. on Sunday, September 10, along with the Twins vs. Tampa Bay Rays contest at 6:40 p.m. on Monday, September 11, are available at twins.com, by calling 612-33-TWINS or 800-33-TWINS, or in-person at the Target Field Ticket Office. Active military members or veterans with a valid ID, plus up to three guests, can receive half-price Diamond Box High or Home Plate View tickets on September 10 and 11, courtesy of Bally Sports North (available day of game only).
20th annual Armed Forces Appreciation Day presented by Thomson Reuters – Sunday, September 10 vs. New York Mets (1:10 p.m. first pitch; gates open at 11:00 a.m.)
Throughout Sunday’s game, the Twins will honor veterans and active servicemembers from all six branches of the military on the 20th annual Armed Forces Appreciation Day presented by Thomson Reuters. The club will recognize two decades of this special in-ballpark event, which began at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in 2003, by again celebrating the men and women of Twins Territory who have, and continue to, bravely serve our communities and our country.
Armed Forces Appreciation Day is also about recognizing civilian organizations and companies that play a key role in our nation’s defense by providing exceptional support before, during and after deployment for citizen servicemembers active today in the Minnesota National Guard and Reserves. One of these flagship companies, Thomson Reuters – like the Twins, a proud Yellow Ribbon Company – has generously donated 1,000 tickets to Sunday’s game for active and retired members of the U.S. military, which have been distributed by Military Family Assistance Centers throughout the state.
Through the “Seats for Soldiers” program, many Thomson Reuters Champions Club and Delta SKY360° Club season ticket holders, along with suite holders, have generously donated their tickets to wounded warriors and current service members and their families. Additionally, more than 30 Families of the Fallen, whose loved ones served and died while on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States of America or its allies, will be hosted in donated suites and seats.
Starting at approximately 12:15 p.m., special pre- and in-game elements, as hosted by Gulf War veteran and WCCO-TV personality Reg Chapman, are scheduled to include:
Military vehicles on display at Target Plaza outside Gate 29.
Performances by the 34th Infantry Division’s Red Devil Rock Band from the third-floor balcony.
The traditional Sunday “Race Around the Bases” will feature an Air Force vs. Army family competition, as 11-year-old Levi Long (son of Air Force Lt. Col. Anna Long, who serves at Joint Force Headquarters in St. Paul) will take on his cousin, 11-year-old Wesley Whitehouse (brother of Thomas Whitehouse, currently in the Arctic Warriors Army ROTC program at Michigan Tech University).
Minnesotans’ Military Appreciation Fund (MMAF) Grants, presented by MMAF Board Member and Air Force veteran, Zach Husted, will be awarded to the following:
Army Sgt. Jordan Schmitz of Kasota, who served with Alpha Company, 123rd Brigade Support Battalion, and deployed to Kuwait in 2016.
Army Sgt. First Class Josh Wiemann of Princeton, who retired in August following 24 years of service with Delta Company, 216th Air Defense Artillery of the Minnesota National Guard, including deployment to Iraq in 2004.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Sebastian Haugen of Minneapolis, who deployed to Saudi Arabia in 2022 as part of his ongoing service with the 148th Fighter Wing of the Minnesota Air National Guard.
Army First Sgt. Tim Knoblach of Hastings, who retired from the Minnesota National Guard in March after a career that included numerous deployments and a Purple Heart for injuries sustained in Iraq.
As part of the Twins’ longstanding support of the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MAC-V) and its mission to end veteran homelessness in our state, the club will welcome Richie Toweh (Lennar Minnesota) and Paul Roecker (Housing First Foundation) as they hand over the key to a brand-new house – the 11th completed since 2017 – to MAC-V’s Jackie Beck.
In honor of the Families of the Fallen, and in support of a planned memorial at the St. Cloud-based Army Aviation Support Facility honoring all fallen aviators of the Minnesota National Guard, the Twins will make a financial donation to the Minnesota Army Aviation Fallen Solder Memorial. Accepting the check will be Gold Star family members of the three aviators killed in a Black Hawk helicopter crash during a routine maintenance test flight on December 5, 2019: Chief Warrant Officer 2 James Rogers, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Charles Nord and Warrant Officer Candidate Kort Plantenberg (all members of Charlie Company, 2-211th General Support Aviation Battalion, an air ambulance company headquartered in St. Cloud).
As per Armed Forces Appreciation Day tradition, the Twins will remember and pay tribute to Twins Territory servicemembers whom we have lost during the past year. We remember Army Master Sgt. Jason Standage, Army Specialist Samuel Bakken, Army Specialist Hamadee Jalloh, Army Sgt. First Class Steve Pliego, Army Sgt. Jake Wallin, Army Sgt. First Class Eric Hagen, Army Private Marlin Chase and Marine Corps Captain William Bredberg.
In recognition of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), which assists in fostering a culture in which employers support and value the employment and military service of members of the National Guard and Reserves, the Twins will celebrate four companies for going above and beyond – Saint Capital, U.S. Bank Minneapolis, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, and Medtronic Brooklyn Center. Additionally, Land O’Lakes will receive special recognition for receiving the Pro Patria Award – the highest-level award a state committee may present to an employer.
In honor of Thomson Reuters’ exceptional leadership as a Yellow Ribbon Company and an organization recognized by the ESGR program, an initial ceremonial first pitch will be thrown by Terry Pieper, a military veteran who has worked at Thomson Reuters for nearly 20 years and currently services as their Core Publishing Solutions Inventory Control Assistant. Terry joined the U.S. Army in 1985 and, after serving six years in Germany, joined the Minnesota National Guard’s 134th Signal Battalion, for which he deployed to Iraq in 2004 before retiring in 2008.
The following groups will be recognized and saluted on the field in honor of, and gratitude for, their service; each will walk through a flag line held by local members of the Patriot Guard Riders, a nationwide volunteer 501(c)(3) organization that stands for unity and respect towards military members and veterans:
Full- and part-time Twins employees and security staffers who have served, or continue to serve, in the military.
Soldiers and their families from three Minnesota National Guard units that have returned this year from deployment: the Brooklyn Park-based 347th Regional Support Group, whose soldiers returned in January after nine months in Kuwait and Iraq; the Bloomington-based 147th Human Resources Company, whose soldiers returned this summer from a nine-month deployment in Iraq and Kuwait; and the Bloomington-based 147th Financial Management Support Detachment, which welcomed back soldiers this summer after nine months in Poland.
Twins Territory Vietnam and Vietnam Era Veterans, 50 years after the last U.S. combat troops departed Vietnam. These heroes will also be given the Vietnam Veteran Lapel Pin, presented on behalf of a grateful nation to living veterans who served on active duty in the United States Armed Forces at any time during the period of November 1, 1955 to May 15, 1975, regardless of location of service.
Twins right-handed pitcher Griffin Jax, a Captain in the Air Force Reserves, and his wife, Savannah, an intelligence officer in the Air Force Reserves, will be honored by Team Red, White & Blue (Team RWB), a 501(c)(3) organization that is enriching veterans’ lives by forging America’s leading health and wellness community for veterans.
Following a tradition that began with the first Armed Forces Appreciation Day, when a member of the military threw out the first pitch while stationed in Iraq, an active servicemember will again throw out the second and final ceremonial first pitch: Major Katie Lunning of the Minnesota Air National Guard. In her civilian career, Katie serves as a critical care nurse manager; in 2021, she deployed to Kabul and provided medical support after a suicide bomber caused massive casualties. Under constant fire, she led her team to evacuate 22 wounded servicemembers and kept them alive during an eight-hour medical evacuation flight. A true American hero, Major Lunning became the first Air National Guard flight nurse to receive the prestigious Distinguished Flying Cross medal and was recognized as the 2023 Military Times Airmen of the Year.
A special Perkins Starting Lineup will be introduced on the field, comprised of airmen from the St. Paul-based 133rd Air Lift Wing and the Duluth-based 148th Fighter Wing: Sr. Airman Brandon Wortham, Sr. Airman Joshua Frandrup, Staff Sgt. Adam Skov, Staff Sgt. Daisy Perez, Master Sgt. Erin Barry, Tech Sgt. Victor Startk, Tech Sgt. Mitchell Swanson, Tech Sgt. Christopher Buttke and Master Sgt. Charles Thurber.
The Twins Territory flag will be raised by Command Chief Master Sgt. Lisa Erikson, who began her military career in 1988 and currently holds the highest enlisted position in the Minnesota National Guard through her role as the Command Senior Enlisted Leader.
The American flag will be raised by Corporal Robert Beck, a Vietnam veteran and Purple Heart recipient who, after joining the Marine Corps at the age of 17, served with the 7th Engineers in Vietnam as a heavy equipment operator from December 1969 until his return in January 1971. The Color Guard will be presented by Minnesota servicemembers representing the United States Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard and Space Force.
The National Anthem will be performed by Major Chaplain Cory Germain from the 133rd Airlift Wing.
A pregame flyover will feature Chinook and Black Hawk helicopters from the St. Paul and St. Cloud-based 34th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade.
God Bless America will be performed during the 7th-inning stretch by Sgt. Ava Penner of the 34th Infantry Division’s Red Devil Rock Band; she will then lead the crowd in Take Me Out to the Ballgame.
Twins broadcast partners Bally Sports North and the Treasure Island Baseball Network will celebrate the men and women of the Minnesota National Guard during both pregame coverage and during select inning breaks via stories, interviews and special “shout-outs” from currently deployed servicemembers; additionally, the National Anthem, God Bless America and Take Me Out to the Ballgame will be televised live.
9/11 Remembrance – Monday vs. Tampa Bay Rays (6:40 p.m. first pitch; gates open at 5:00 p.m.)
On the 22nd anniversary of September 11, 2001, the Twins and Rays will join Major League Baseball and all 30 Clubs to remember and honor those we lost on that tragic day, the heroism of all who sacrificed their own lives to save others, and those who continue to bravely serve our communities and country.
Starting at approximately 6:20 p.m., special pre- and in-game elements are scheduled to include:
- The placing of six wreaths, each representing a different group and commemorating lives lost, behind the pitcher’s mound, where they will remain throughout pregame ceremonies; they will then be moved to the flag poles near Gate 34 for the game. A wreath honoring the United States Armed Forces will be placed by Air Force Brigadier General Dan Gabrielli of the Minnesota National Guard; one remembering Law Enforcement will be placed by Kevin Kedrowski, Justin Reinke and Thuan Vuong of the Hennepin County Sherriff’s Office; one paying tribute to Firefighters will be placed by Battalion Chief Bryan Tyner of the Minneapolis Fire Department; one recognizing Emergency Medical Services will be placed by Mark Schoephoerster of Hennepin EMS; one commemorating American Citizens will be laid by Brice Johnson, Regional Chief Executive Officer for the Minnesota and Dakotas Region of the American Red Cross; and one honoring International Citizens will be laid by Navid Chakari, an Afghan citizen who after 9/11 assisted the U.S. military.
- The American flag will be raised in honor of those lost during the 9/11 terrorist attacks and during the war on terrorism by Lt. Col. Corby Koehler, who joined the Minnesota National Guard in 1991, became an Army aviator flying Black Hawk helicopters in 1998, and recently retired following more than 32 years of service. Over the course of his career, he deployed three times – to Kosovo in 2004, Iraq in 2007 and Kuwait in 2014. Prior to serving fulltime in for the Guard, Colby was a Minnetonka police officer for three years.
- The National Anthem will be performed by trumpeter Mark Holton.
- A pregame flyover will feature F-16s from the Minnesota National Guard’s 148th Fighter Wing, based out of Duluth. Immediately after the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, and in the days and weeks that followed, the Bulldogs of the 148th Fighter Wing protected America’s skies by conducting combat air patrols over Minneapolis, St. Paul and the entire Midwest. Since then, the men and women of the 148th have conducted NORAD homeland defense missions all over the United States.
- God Bless America will be performed by Richard Larson.