By Hub City Times staff

MARSHFIELD – Baseball fans in Marshfield got an added bonus on June 27. A UH-60 Blackhawk medical helicopter landed at Reeths Field, at the Steven J. Miller baseball complex, before the start of the Marshfield Chaparrals’ amateur baseball game against Waupaca, as part of Military Appreciation Night at the ballpark.

Marshfield native Tom Rogers and two other crew members brought the Blackhawk to Marshfield last night. Rogers is a 31-year veteran with the Army National Guard, and uses the helicopter to train members of the 238th medical company based in West Bend. His brother Dan is with the local Disabled American Veterans (DAV) chapter, and helped organize the event.

“With my brother being a pilot, it was kind of easy for me to make those arrangements,” Tom said. “He could fill out the paperwork and it just was a pretty simple step.”

Scott Kremer was one of the pilots with the crew.

Chaps fans got a chance to look inside a Blackhawk helicopter during Military Appreciation Night at the ballpark. Hub City Times staff photo

“We really enjoy things like this – community outreach – and getting to know the communities that support us, giving back, and things like that,” he said. “It is a great time for us as well.”

Kremer is not from the area, but his parents Dale and Kathy Kremer do live here. Kremer has been a pilot for eight years, and has served three deployments overseas.

DAV Adjutant Al Labelle said last night’s event was part of an awareness campaign for the organization, which is very active in serving vets and their families.

“Part of this is to create awareness for all we are and what we do,” Labelle said. “DAV, each year, helps more than one million veterans through benefits, transportation, advocacy, employments, and volunteerism.”

The Blackhawk and its crew members flew over Hackman Field as the National Anthem was ending, then landed at the adjacent Reeths Field, and gave people a chance to climb inside and take photos and talk to the crew members.

Rogers said the visits are planned to be bi-annual.