A permanent tribute

Longtime North Carolina National Executive Committeeman Jerry Hedrick was instrumental in making Shelby, N.C., the home of The American Legion World Series (ALWS). Fittingly, Hedrick will now be a permanent fixture at the Series.

Legion family members from all over the nation were on hand in Shelby Aug. 11 to see a statue of Hedrick – who passed away unexpectedly during the 2014 National Convention in nearby Charlotte – unveiled at Keeter Stadium.

“It’s very fitting,” said Immediate Past Department of North Carolina Commander Gaither Keener, a member of the Cleveland County ALWS Baseball Inc. Executive Committee. “After the decision was made to bring (the ALWS) to one site, Jerry was a force to bring it to this place. It’s not even his hometown. He just knew that in North Carolina, you have certain cities that are very supportive of American Legion Baseball. He knew Shelby would be a place that would support the World Series. He was looking for the best for Legion Baseball.”

Past National Commander Jake Comer, who led the Legion the year Hedrick served as Department of North Carolina commander, is a staunch supporter of Legion Baseball. Comer said that he and others immediately wanted some permanent reminder of Hedrick’s efforts in bringing the World Series to Shelby.

“When Jerry passed away, we made sure on the National Executive Committee that there would be something permanent in his memory,” Comer said. “He loved this program. I’m glad we’re able to do this.”

Jerry’s widow, Marie, was at the dedication, as were other Hedrick family members. “Words cannot describe how proud we are of him,” Marie said of her husband. “He did so much work. He never stopped working for the veterans.”

However, Marie said Jerry likely would have had a clear opinion of his statue. “He would probably say, ‘Someone deserved it more than I did,’” she said. “He never wanted to toot his own horn.”