SAN DIEGO -- As the Marines approached the field the crowd in the stadium grew louder and more rowdy. Sunlight peaked through the tunnel entrance; the moment of truth was upon them. The Marines took the field in a single-file line with stoic faces, as if the stadium were empty. The ovation was well deserved for the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit’s color guard.
To honor military service members, the San Diego Padres hosted members of the 11th MEU’s color guard, who performed during the pre-game ceremony.
“I think we are ready,” said Cpl. Mitchell Zgorzynski, the organizer of colors, after practicing. “The movements are pretty simple, it’s just all a matter of whether we will execute when the time comes.”
The color guard lined up along the baseball field staring straight ahead with discipline and military bearing. On cue, they marched onto the field and took position on the pitcher’s mound. As the national anthem played, the color guard stood rigidly at present arms.
“I didn’t really think about anything really while I was out there,” said Sgt. Clifford Baskerville, the color sergeant with the 11th MEU. “I was kind of in a zone the whole time. I thought we did well though.”
As the national anthem faded into the background, fireworks filled the skies over the sold-out Padres’ stadium and music played loudly enough to drown out all other thoughts. The color guard marched off the field and back into the halls of the stadium.