Before you read this, watch this. (update – the link now works)
Curt Schilling, just minutes after the Red Sox won their second World Series title in 4 years (this never gets old) thanks Baghdadjamie and his wife Kristine for their service to the Country.
Baghdadjamie is Sergeant First Class Jamie Favreau who serves as a Forward Observer in the United States Army. A Forward Observer controls air support, artillery, rocket and mortar strikes. Sergeant Favreau has served our Country for over 15 years.
Sergeant Favreau has served two deployments in Iraq. The first of which was from March of 2004 to March of 2005 and his second deployment was between October of 2006 through November of 2007.
Let’s hope that the Red Sox can win it in 2008 when Jamie expects to be in the United States. For some reason, Jamie thinks some of his Red Sox fan friends want him to be deployed.
Suffice to say, the Red Sox seem to do well when Sergeant Favreau is serving in Iraq.
Jamie and other Red Sox fans in Iraq are able to follow the Red Sox on the Armed Forces Network and on ESPN Gamecast. Jamie also follows the Red Sox through gamethreads on Sons of Sam Horn where Red Sox fans rant and rave as if the fate of the world rests on Jason Varitek catching up with a high fastball.
The internet helps to bring baseball to soldiers who are otherwise far from the game. During his two deployments, Jamie did not see a baseball field outside of a military post. It is not surprising to learn that outside of military posts, soccer is the most popular sport in Iraq. Sergeant Favreau has heard that some soldiers are trying to get an Iraqi town involved with baseball but he is unsure how that has worked out.
Now back to Curt Schilling, the Red Sox, and Jamie.
Curt, Jamie and Kristine are all well known and well respected members of Sons of Sam Horn (SoSH). When Jamie became a member of SoSH in 2004, Curt Schilling sent him an email thanking him for his service.
When Jamie got back from Iraq in 2005, Jamie and Kristine got to meet Curt Schilling when the Red Sox played the Rangers in Arlington.
At the begininning of Jamie’s second deployment in 2006, the veteran Red Sox right hander sent Jamie an autographed Red Sox road jersey along. Within days, a package showed up at Kristine’s home containing an autographed Red Sox home jersey.
As Red Sox fans, Jamie and Kristine experienced the joy of seeing their team win the 2007 World Series (did I mention the Red Sox are defending World Series Champs?) but little prepared them to see Curt Schilling thank them during a post game interview.
“I was in shock, disbelief….I must have played the clip a thousand times then I made everyone else watch it” said Jamie. The icing on the cake was that Jamie’s colonel is a huge Yankees fan.
On Tuesday, April 8th, the Red Sox open their season at Fenway against the Detroit Tigers (yes, I know that they will have opened their season in Japan and then Oakland but it’s never really opening day until the Red Sox take the field at Fenway).
Prior to the start of the game, the Red Sox will hold a ceremony to celebrate the 2007 World Series Championship.
Watch if you can’t be there.
If you are there, stand and cheer loudly for the man holding the Iraqi flag on the field at Fenway Park during pregame ceremonies – Sergeant Jamie Favreau.
________________________________
I’d like to thank Jamie for agreeing to share his story. In addition to cheering Jamie you can thank him and all of the men and women serving in the Armed Services by making a donation to Disabled American Veterans.