The Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres will take part in Major League Baseball's Memorial Day observance on Monday. Game time is a special 1:10 p.m. start.
Mariners and Padres players will wear special jerseys that feature a woodland camouflage design for the lettering and numbers. The design is licensed by the United States Marine Corps. Teams will also wear camo caps.
All fans entering Safeco Field will receive miniature American flags, courtesy of KeyBank. The National Anthem and God Bless America (mid 7th Inning) will be performed by Technical Sergeant Freddie Garza, Jr. of the United States Air Force Reserve. The colors will be presented by Joint Base Lewis-McChord I Corps Command Honor Guard. Thirty World War II veterans will stand along the first and third base lines with Mariners and Padres players during the National Anthem.
The ceremonial first pitch will be delivered by 92-year old Burke Waldron of Bremerton. Waldron attained the rank of Second Class Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy while serving in World War II from 1943-46. He was stationed at Pearl Harbor and was on a troop ship as part of the invasion of the Makin Islands and participated in the Saipan Invasion with the Ground Forces of the Pacific.
At 3:00 p.m. PDT, the game will pause in observance of the National Moment of Remembrance, a nation-wide effort to honor the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. The observance, which Major League Baseball has participated in since 1997, serves as a reminder to all Americans of the importance of remembering those who have lost their lives in service to their country, to provide an opportunity for a collective, unified expression of gratitude, and to help younger Americans understand the significance of Memorial Day.
U.S. Army Air Corps veteran Fred Parker of Olympia will be honored as part of the Mariners Salute to Those Who Serve program at the end of the 4th inning. Parker, who is 92, was part of the D-Day Invasion and flew 33 missions as a tail gunner on B-17 bombers during World War II. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism, three Air Medals for meritorious achievement in aerial battles, two Unit Citations for outstanding battle performance and a Good Conduct Medal for exemplary service. At the time of his discharge in 1946, Parker had attained the rank of Staff Sergeant.