Mike James
The One... and the Two
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Registered: May 2003
Local time: 02:09 PM
Location: Rice University
Posts: 1191
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Bills To Honor Military With Pre-Game Salute
www.buffalobills.com
September 4, 2003
Orchard Park, NY - During the pre-game of Sunday’s opener vs. New England, the Bills will present a special tribute to local Military who took part in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Over 100 individuals from various branches of the United States Armed Forces will be on hand and will assist in displaying a special 10-yard by 17-yard American flag on the field.
Among them will be 55 United States Marines from Bravo Company 8th Tank Battalion. This unit was largely composed of reservists from Western and Central New York who earned the distinction of being the first U.S. tank unit to cross the Tigris River into Iraq. The group included many die-hard Bills fans who took Bills hats, posters and other items with them on their mission and also scrawled “Bledsoe 11” on the turret of one of their tanks that they named after the Bills quarterback. During the time they were deployed, the group would e-mail back photos of themselves with their Bills gear to friends and family as well as the Bills. The team hosted these individuals at a practice in June shortly after they returned and is proud to have them back for Sunday’s game.
Special tribute will also be paid to the five Western New York natives who were killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Those individuals are Army Private First Class Tamario D. Burkett; Army Private David Evans, Jr.; Army National Guard Heath A. McMillan; Marine Lance Corporal Eric J. Orlowski; and U.S. Chief Warrant Officer Eric Smith. The families of each of these individuals will be on hand for the tribute. Orlowski was a member of Bravo Company.
Several high-ranking military officials will also participate, including the Honorable Thomas F. Hall, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs and Admiral Roger Triftshauser of the United States Navy.
The United States Navy Ceremonial Guard will be in attendance and conduct a special rifle-team performance and a military flyover will take place prior to kickoff.
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09-06-2003 05:46 AM
Go Bills!
