Mr. Alan Duretz, Founder of Vetbaseball, and Mr. Josh Rawitch, President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

Veterans Day at the Hall of Fame and Museum, Cooperstown, N.Y.

From November 10-12, the DC VetBaseball Chapter took 25 veterans and guests from the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington, D.C., along with several volunteers, to Cooperstown, N.Y., to visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and to participate in the town’s Veterans Day Observances. 

We were able to make this trip thanks to contributions from many individuals and a kind and generous gift from our friends at FISERV, the global financial technology company. 

Our crew was hosted by a variety of special presentations at HOF, including a dinner in the Plaque Gallery, where HOF President Josh Rawitch and other officials joined us.  At this dinner, VetBaseball Chairman and Founder Alan Duretz presented the organization’s first Founders Award to President Rawitch and HOF for their continued outstanding support of military veterans in the United States. 

During the visit, we were also honored to be invited by the Cooperstown American Legion and VFW to join in their Veterans Day Parade. 

As some had predicted, it was cold, snowy, and windy in Cooperstown during our visit.  But the weather we experienced couldn’t and didn’t put a damper on our fun and enthusiasm for this visit.  Since pictures can tell a thousand words, the photos below help tell this VetBaseball story. 

The overall success of this effort has prompted discussion of repeating the experience and including a larger group of veterans.