Vintage aircraft, Army parachutists scheduled for USAA Military Appreciation Day at American Legion World Series
The schedule for the 96th American Legion World Series will again include USAA Military Appreciation Day, on Aug. 12 at Veterans Field at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, N.C.
In conjunction with the day, three T-28 Warbirds from the Museum of Flight will fly over the stadium and the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team will perform a 35-minute program between the second and third games of the day, approximately 6 p.m.
The T-28s — single-engine, vintage aircraft — generated excitement in 2022, and the pilots are eager to return. These World War II-era fighters are among the fastest propeller-driven airplanes ever built.
The U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps used various models of the T-28 as trainers beginning in the 1950s; the military took the planes out of service as trainers in the 1980s. The planes also were used as counter-insurgency aircraft, primarily during the Vietnam War. The T-28 pilots will perform a flyover every day of the six-day tournament, Aug. 10-15.
The T-28s and the Golden Knights’ plane will be on public display from 9 to 11 a.m. Aug. 12 at the Shelby-Cleveland County Regional Airport.
The two Golden Knights demonstration teams travel the United States (and occasionally overseas), performing for public audiences at venues ranging from relatively small civic events to nationally and internationally televised events, such as Monday Night Football games, NASCAR races, and large international airshows. The two 12-member teams travel around 240 days per year.
Two Blaze Battalion JROTC units from Blackman High School in Murfreesboro, Tenn., will post the colors at all games Aug. 10-12. The award-winning Battalion is returning for the third consecutive ALWS.
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome back the Museum of Flight’s warbirds, the U.S. Army Golden Knights and the Blaze Battalion JROTC to this year’s event,” said Robert Farrow, the ALWS Executive Committee member who coordinates aerial events. “It’s an honor to showcase these iconic aircraft and the remarkable talents of the Golden Knights. We can’t wait to share this experience with our visitors. The ALWS focuses on excellent baseball, but these additional events create another level of excitement.”
General admission tickets for the ALWS are available online at AmericanLegionWorldSeries.com. Day passes will be available at the Keeter Stadium ticket office once games begin.
For links to American Legion Baseball and ALWS online coverage, social media and other resources, go to Legion.org/Baseball/FollowUs.
