Phillies winner announced as part of MLB and 'People' magazine's "Tribute for Heroes" campaign honoring the nation's veterans and military service members

Major League Baseball and PEOPLE magazine announced the 30 winners of the "Tribute for Heroes" campaign, a national initiative that recognizes veterans and military service members and which builds upon both organizations' commitment to honoring our country's heroes. Louis Namm of Thorofare, NJ has been selected by fans to represent the Philadelphia Phillies at this year's All-Star Game in New York City. 

As a sergeant in Vietnam, Louis Namm stepped on a landmine while guiding his platoon. He lost both legs, but his actions saved his men and he received two Purple Hearts for Bravery and Injury. Namm, who has worked for the VA in the Vocational Rehabilitation office in Philadelphia for 39 years, helps encourage and guide veterans back into society, school, and work. "I think my clients appreciate my passion and drive, but also my honesty, as I try to push them to do and be better," said Namm.

Namm also took up golf, now another of his passions, as a challenge to himself and is now a semipro golf teacher. He is also a lead instructor for a charity called Amputee Veterans First Swing, which offers golf instruction to those with disabilities and those who teach golf to disabled individuals.

Namm will join one winner representing each of the 30 MLB Clubs to be included in All-Star Week festivities (private tour of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, a VIP reception on the Intrepid, All-Star Red Carpet Show Presented by Chevrolet, Chevrolet Home Run Derby). The winners also will attend and be honored during the pre-game ceremony leading up to the 2013 All-Star Game at Citi Field July 16th on FOX beginning at 7:30 pm ET (4:30 pm PT).

Fans nationwide cast their votes at TributeForHeroes.com to select 30 winners from a pool of 90 finalists.

Along with MLB and PEOPLE, a guest panel including General Peter W. Chiarelli (retired) and General John M. "Jack" Keane (retired), alongside MLB players Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers, Nick Swisher of the Cleveland Indians, Barry Zito of the San Francisco Giants, Jonny Gomes of the Boston Red Sox, Brad Ziegler of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Chase Headley of the San Diego Padres and Craig Stammen of the Washington Nationals assisted in the selection process for the 90 finalists, who were then voted on by fans to select the 30 winners.

The "Tribute For Heroes" campaign supports Welcome Back Veterans (welcomebackveterans.org, powered by MLB.com), an initiative of Major League Baseball and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, which addresses the needs of veterans after they return from service. Major League Baseball has committed more than $23 million for grants to hospitals and clinics that provide post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) treatment to veterans and their families in a public/private partnership with "Centers of Excellence" at university hospitals throughout the country. 

As part of its 2013 charity initiative, PEOPLE First: Help America's Veterans, 'PEOPLE' is partnering with Welcome Back Veterans and three other nonprofit organizations that are committed to providing assistance to military men and women, and will feature them in multiple editorial stories in 'PEOPLE' throughout 2013.

Currently, Welcome Back Veterans funds programs at The University of Michigan, Rush University Medical Center, Duke University, Emory University, Weill Cornell in New York City, UCLA and the Boston Red Sox' Home Base Program at Mass General Hospital in Boston. These institutions are developing new programs and strategies to improve the quality, quantity and access to PTSD and TBI treatment for veterans, particularly those returning from duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.