S Btory and photos by Ed Vasgerdsian
aseball fans are well aware of
names like Ted Williams, Jerry
Coleman, Dave Winfield,
Randy Jones, Steve Garvey, Tony
Gwynn and Trevor Hoffman, for they
are as synonymous with the San Diego
Padres as is the sun with Ocean
Beach. There is another certainty at
San Diego’s PETCO Park: the pres-
ence of the Marine Corps.
At nearby Marine Corps Recruit
Depot San Diego, Platoon 2110,
“Echo” Company recruits have just
completed 54 hours of continuous
training designed to test both mind
and body. Called the Crucible, this
was the recruits’ final step in three
months’ work toward becoming a
part of the nation’s finest—United
States Marines.
Now the platoon can relax a little
and prepare for graduation. There’s
equipment to clean, addresses to exchange, telephone calls to parents,
and a visit to PETCO Park, home of
the San Diego Padres.
Sports organizations across the
country pay tribute to our nation’s
military on Armed Forces Day and
Independence Day and also observe
scheduled commemorative events for
individual military personnel. Some-
times a formation of jet aircraft executes a perfect flyby to the sound of
admiring “oohs” and “aahs.” But the
San Diego baseball team pays tribute
to the military in a more personal way.
Echo Co is a part of the 6,000 Marine recruits representing 12 graduat-
ing classes the Padres host each year.
The Padres have been honoring
MCRD recruits with a trip to the
ballpark since 1995. When considering all military facilities located near
cities where there are major prof
essional sports venues, the San Diego
Padres baseball team takes top hon-
San Diego Padres—
“The Team of the Military”
ors for supporting the U.S. military.
According to the ball club, “the
Padres provide more programs and
support for the military than any team
in [Major League Baseball]—or any
professional sports franchise in the
country,” and appropriately call t
hemselves “the Team of the Military.”
Echo Co’s arrangements for attending the game have been made through
the Padres director of military marketing, Captain John C. “Jack”
Ensch, USN (Ret). Known by all as
“Captain Jack,” he wears the Navy
Cross and is a former prisoner of war
who flew 285 combat missions dur-
20 LEATHERNECK OC TOBER 2008
