NFL Teams and Officials Recognize Veterans and Honor Armed Services This Month

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The National Football League will honor veterans and members of the military during November, with teams designating home games as special Veterans Recognition games throughout the month. The NFL has a long history of supporting America’s armed services, including a 42-year partnership with the USO that includes overseas visits to troops and trips to military hospitals nationwide.

Teams and officials will honor veterans and the armed services with a number of pregame and in-stadium initiatives:

• Officials’ “Remembering Our Troops Campaign”: Game officials will continue their visits to military hospitals in recognition and support of the armed forces. Traveling to bases on Saturdays in their signature black and white uniforms, the officials spend time with injured soldiers, in partnership with the USO. The “Remembering Our Troops Campaign” began with officials visiting injured soldiers at Ramstein Air Base in Germany last summer, and will include eight hospital visits during the 2007 season.
• Military Flyovers: Teams will orchestrate pregame flyovers by military personnel, many of whom will be introduced to the crowd later in the games. The Broncos will host the Wings of Blue Parachute Team for a flyover, while the Chiefs will recognize Paul Bosworth, a local Kansas City resident who was a POW in Europe during World War II.
• Recognition of Local Families and Veterans: The Packers will host a special pregame ceremony for the families of local military members currently serving overseas. The Seahawks and Cardinals will honor Purple Heart recipients during their games, while the Jets will welcome the mother and brother of Long Island LT. Michael Murphy, a Medal of Honor recipient, for an honorary pregame coin toss. Three hundred NASA/Kennedy Space Center personnel will attend the Dolphins’ “Salute to America’s Heroes” game, featuring Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell and Apollo 15 astronaut COL. Al Worden. I’ll be at the Bills game when they present a special team jersey to U.S. Army Staff Sgt. David Bellavia, recipient of the Silver and Bronze Star and the Conspicuous Service Cross. As part of the Ravens’ Veterans Day tribute, the team will establish live video contact with “Task Force Raven,” Maryland National Guard Unit (58th IBCT) stationed in Baghdad.
• Flag and National Anthem Ceremonies: Teams, including the Raiders, will work with local military personnel for special flag unfurling presentations and national anthem performances at the start of their games. The anthem will be sung at an upcoming Chiefs game by Richard Gibson, a local Marine who was quoted in a Kansas City paper as saying that his dream would be to perform at a Chiefs game. The Browns will welcome the Cleveland Opera to sing the anthem at their Veterans Day Salute game, and a naval officer will perform at an upcoming Giants game.
• Halftime Marching Band Presentations: Clubs will host local military marching bands and color guards for special halftime shows and tributes to all branches of the armed forces.
• Visits to Local Veterans’ Homes: Teams, including the Vikings, will spend time at veterans’ homes, visiting with the residents and honoring their service. Players from the Buccaneers also will make their monthly visit to the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa. Eagles players will travel to the Philadelphia VA Medical Center along with their team mascot and cheerleaders, while the Titans will visit a local veterans’ hospital.
• Operation Welcome Home and Wounded Warriors: The Panthers will team up with Operation Welcome Home to provide surprise visits for military personnel returning from service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Both the Panthers and the Jets will work with the Wounded Warriors Project to host veterans at home games and give them special stadium tours and VIP access.

The NFL also will salute the Army with in-game public service announcements during the weekend of November 11-12.