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by, Braden Berg (for Ozarks Sports Zone)
A football team’s purple and white color scheme took on a patriotic look Friday night. Fair Grove added a lot of red, white, and blue to their homecoming game, offering a salute to men and women who deserve a celebration even more than the special guests who come back each year for the weekend.
Military veterans got into the game for free and there was a special section of seats just outside the end zone that were reserved for some of our nations heroes that came from out of town.
Fair Grove’s football team took the time to put in some community service over the summer at the Mt. Vernon veteran’s home.
“It was awesome. Those old guys have some good stories.” said Hale Beckley, a senior on the football team.
But they didn’t want to stop at the Mount Vernon Veterans home. The team decided to dedicate a special night to honor our nation’s heroes and invited those veterans as their guests of honor.
“We wear civilian clothes and sometimes people don’t know who we are. And at least this way the community can see who a veteran is.” said Dean Padgett, a Vietnam veteran who runs the American Legion Post 38 in Fair Grove. He says it truly is an honor, especially for his era of veterans.
“We came back and we weren’t necessarily appreciated. So a lot of our Vietnam veterans went into hiding, we didn’t brag about being a veteran. So it is really heartwarming to get those accolades now from the community and be recognized.” Padgett added.
The school decided to change their homecoming week theme to fit the veteran’s night.
“I think it is a really cool thing that our community is doing. I think it will boost morale and I am very excited.” said Elizabeth Holland, the Fair Grove high school student body president.
Red, white, and blue filled the stadium, and the football field even got a makeover. The F-G at the 50 yard line sported the stars and stripes, and dozens of flags flew in the wind underneath the lights, which only upped the hype for the game.
“It just gives us a little extra pep to go for the game and a little more energy so that we know that we can show out for them.” Beckley added.
