CLARKSVILLE, TN – It was a once in lifetime experience for soldiers from medical units on Fort Campbell representing the 101st Airborne Division during pregame ceremonies at Nissan Stadium before the NFL football game between the Tennessee Titans and New Orleans Saints, Nov. 14.
With much of the 101st spread across three states participating in division-wide training exercise Operation Lethal Eagle, leaders from the 101st extended the opportunity to medical units at Fort Campbell to represent the division during the Tennessee Titans Salute to Service event honoring veterans. Soldiers from Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, Soldier Recovery Unit, Fort Campbell Dental Activity, Fort Campbell Veterinary Center, and 531st Hospital Center unfurled a U.S. flag and served as the honor guard during the national anthem. Soldiers from the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade provided a flyover representing the division in the air.
“Today is a great opportunity for our Soldiers to take a breather and enjoy some football and represent the 101st here at the game today to unfurl the flag and represent the United States Army,” said Col. Vincent B. Myers, Blanchfield Army Community Hospital commander. “I will tell you the soldiers are excited to be here. They have been working so hard for so many months to fight COVID. It is a great break for them.”
During the live television broadcast, the honor guard presented the U.S and Army flags on the field and took their position at the 50 yard marker on the Titans’ sideline before a near capacity crowd in the 67,000-seat stadium. About 75 soldiers from the medical units carried a 120-foot long American flag out of the stadium tunnel and onto the sideline near the Saints.
About 10 to 15 minutes passed from the time the soldiers took the field until they had to unfurl the flag. During that time they stood ready, some in awe, as the crowd cheered amidst music,
pyrotechnics, and fog machines that welcomed Titans and Saints cheerleaders, coaches and players to the field.
“It was pretty cool, especially when all the players came running onto the field. One of the players stopped at the front of our formation and said a prayer for us,” said Spc. Mason Wolf, a combat medic specialist who served as the non-commissioned officer in charge of Blanchfield’s COVID-19 vaccination site during its busiest months.
The stadium’s announcer recognized a number of distinguished veterans in attendance for the game while players on the field offered soldiers the occasional fist bump. Then, it was go time. The announcer said each unit’s name as they moved into position on the center of the field for the playing of the national anthem.
Just as they had practiced that morning the Soldiers unfurled the massive flag and held it taut, while Nashville-recording artists Thompson Square, sang the Star-Spangled Banner. When the performers reached the lyric “wave” before the last line of the anthem, the soldiers raised and lowered the massive flag to create a waving motion just as the formation from the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade flew over the stadium. At that point the crowd erupted into cheers.