Peter Damon practiced his throws with his wife, Jenn, at his Brockton home yesterday
in preparation for today’s appearance at Fenway Park. (Globe Staff Photo / Essdras M. Suarez)
Posted on 06/02/2005 10:12:19 AM PDT by nutmeg
BROCKTON -- Pete Damon will go to the Fenway Park mound this afternoon to throw out the first ball before the Red Sox-Orioles game with his wife at his side. Jenn Damon will tote a backpack stuffed with the necessities: a screwdriver, a piece of Kevlar string, a cable, and a spare arm.
''The thing has a tendency to break at the worst possible time," Damon said yesterday, after throwing Wiffle-ball batting practice to his 7-year-old daughter, Allura, in the family's backyard. ''The string's going to break. I know it is."
The 32-year-old, in his parlance, is ''a lefty, but I used to be a righty." That changed for Army Sgt. Peter Damon in the fall of 2003 in a former Iraqi air force bunker converted to a US Army hangar.
A lifelong resident of Brockton, Damon had enlisted in the National Guard in 2000, shipped out to Kuwait in December 2001, then Camp Anaconda in Balad, Iraq, in October 2003.
A helicopter mechanic, he was assigned to inspect for corrosion, cracks, and assorted damage. Army helicopters required scheduled phase maintenance every 250 hours, Damon said, and he and a crew would disassemble each part -- the transmission, blades, landing gear, and more -- then reassemble that component of the aircraft.
''For three weeks, we were doing unscheduled maintenance," Damon said. ''We were waiting for a phase."
A UH-60 Black Hawk finally arrived for phase maintenance Oct. 21, 2003.
''A UH-60 has three wheels, two in the front, one in the back," Damon said. ''We put a jack in each point. Me and another kid, Specialist Paul Bueche, were working on the right side of the landing gear, changing the brakes out.
''This is where I don't remember much..."
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
Peter Damon practiced his throws with his wife, Jenn, at his Brockton home yesterday
in preparation for today’s appearance at Fenway Park. (Globe Staff Photo / Essdras M. Suarez)
What happened? John Kerry usually shows up to throw instead of a military person originally scheduled to throw.
ping
John Kerry and his favorite imaginary Red Sox player friend "Manny Ortez" are long gone from Fenway these days... ;-)
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my ‘miscellaneous’ ping list.
Wow, what an amazing, positive attitude. God bless him!
He'll give us the mojo we need to split the series with the Os.
Today's line-up...
Youkilis, 3b
Renteria, ss
Ortiz, DH
Ramirez, lf
Nixon, rf
Varitek, c
Olerud, 1b
Payton, cf
Bellhorn, 2b
No Damon, no Millar, no Mueller.
One hit, one run, no home runs. That's how you scratch out a run.
I know... can't say I would have the same attitude. I am so amazed and humbled by these guys...
Hubby and I have had just about enough of Wakefield, Embree and Millar lately. Can't believe Francona left Wakefield in the game so long last night! What say you?
Great Red Sox site (you may already know about it): Boston Dirt Dogs
Salute sir,. I thank Pet Damon for his service and for his extraordinary example.
I have only one problem with it. From page 2 of the article...
"Once I proved I could take care of myself hygienically, they put me in the Malone House, meant to be guest house at Walter Reed," Damon said.
The Globe Staff reporter wrote a nice story, but did he (she?) do any background work before writing it? He/she should have, then he/she would have known how to spell Malogne House correctly. Otherwise it's a great story.
Poltergeists in my computer... grrrrr
Big deal... The Reds entire pitching staff hasn't had any arms since... Oh, nevermind.
He could bat one-handed, better than one might think. He would field the ball, toss it up, sling off the glove, catch the ball in his bare hand and throw someone out. Pretty amazing.
A bunt single from Edgah sets up Big Papi. No one on this team can hit a bunt single. The guy we needed to hit a bunt single was there at the plate and he delivered so that Big Daddy could put the hurt on one of the best closers in the AL. Suh-weeeet!
I hate me some blackbirds.
Wow, what a roller coaster game! I love these guys! ;-)
Foulke needs some work, though...
Foulke needs to be flushed down a toilet. He's a big stinking pile of a closer. A 6.48 ERA? You have got to be kidding me.
Great article, and I love his quote at the end--"What, do they want me to pitch in relief?". LOL.
I had visions of bases loaded with Manny at bat. Not good visions either. ;-)
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