Military Appreciation Day a tradition at N.C. State

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Military Appreciation Day a tradition at N.C. State

NC State head coach Tom O'Brien waits to lead his team on to the field for their game against Louisville on September 29, 2007.

By Emily Seck

Sep 5, 2008

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When soldiers parachute out of a plane, with the N.C. State game ball, as part of the festivities of Military Appreciation Day, they’ll be aiming for the field at Carter-Finley. And they hope to land in the right stadium.

Last Saturday, the North Carolina game ball never made it to Kenan Memorial Stadium, as skydivers accidentally landed at Duke’s Wallace Wade Stadium.

Fortunately for the Wolfpack, the tandem of retired combat soldiers has combined for nearly 7,500 jumps.

But the bad news is that Hurricane Hanna could bring gusts of wind reaching up to 50 mph.

Though the storm is projected to hit Raleigh over the weekend, State’s contest against William and Mary remains at 6 p.m. Saturday, and Military Appreciation Day activities should continue as planned.

The tribute to the military has been a Pack tradition for more than a decade. The event began as a way for State to honor troops and has grown larger in scale every year.

“To have so many different bases from different branches of the military right here in the state within a couple hours is a good part of our culture,” said Chris Alston, the director of marketing and promotions at NCSU. We want to do whatever we can for those people that give their time and effort and dedication to the country.”

Festivities include an F-18 flyover, a performance by the Navy rock band Pride and the new Adopt-A-Troop Program, which allows pairs of troops _ many of whom are graduates of N.C. State _ to tailgate with selected families and receive free game tickets.

For the second year in a row, wounded soldiers will be recognized on the field. They are selected by the Wounded Warriors Program, a non-profit organization that helps injured troops get involved in the community.

Alston said State’s ties to the military have strengthened with the hiring of former Marine Tom O’Brien as head coach.

“N.C. State’s ROTC program is heavily involved with the athletic program when it comes to this,” he said. “There’s a lot of military history with the school. Of course, when Coach O’Brien came in it strengthened the bond. He has taken his team to military bases during the off-season and visited with the troops. It’s very important not only to the athletic department but to the university as a whole.”

O’Brien said that Military Appreciation Day is “something the community and school should be very proud of.” He also credits his experiences in the military with shaping his character.

“Certainly, it’s given me the essence of what I am… my values and the way
I perceive the world,” he said.

Most Recent Comments

From a Heel fan and a Soldier, way to go State!! Thanks for the day.

That is sort of funny about last week's ball going to Duke. LOL!

Glad to see the editors fixed the spelling error in the title. Good job, guys.

Too bad NC State cannot put a quality product on the field for our military

WRAL...who is responsible for proofreading?...an error in the title?

"Last Saturday, the North Carolina game ball never made it to Kenan Memorial Stadium, as skydivers accidentally landed at Duke’s Wallace Wade Stadium."

I'm a 'Heels fan through and through, but that is funny that the game ball landed at Duke. I guess Duke could take a shot at UNC over that, but really... It is funny.

Go 'Heels!

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