Exchange Honors Six Local Veterans With Tickets to Army-Navy Game
The Exchange honored the service of six of our nation’s heroes that live in the New York/New Jersey area with tickets to the 122nd Army-Navy Game.
Marine Veteran Mark Schwartz, with his wife Sharon, was one of six New Jersey-area Veterans the Exchange honored at the Army-Navy game on Dec. 11.
Veterans from the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy attended the game on Dec. 11:
- SFC Luddie Austin
- Chief Master Sgt. Maria Hamlin
- Mark Schwartz
- 2nd Class Petty Officer Brian Wiener
- Gunnery Sgt. Bill Thompson
- Retired Army Sgt. Maj. Jennifer Long
“I’ve always watched the game on TV so was very excited when I learned I’d be actually going,” Austin said. “My daughter is currently serving in the Army and my son is in the Marines so we’re a house divided.”
This year’s game was played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., roughly 20 years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The stadium stands less than 10 miles from the site of the World Trade Center towers.
“We don’t live very far from the stadium, so we were able to see the aftereffects of the attacks from our window,” Hamlin said. “We will never forget all of the lives lost on that horrific day and will always remember, and be proud of, the resilience the families and city showed after suffering such great loss.
“So, to me, it’s not necessarily the place we were, but about the people we were blessed to be there with.”
Austin deployed to Iraq after the terrorist attacks.
“Prior to going to Iraq, I was deployed to the Holland Tunnel in New York immediately following the attacks,” Austin said. “On that day, the brave made the call. First responders and service members were the first to step up and we forever owe them a debt of gratitude.”
The Exchange has been a participating partner of the Army-Navy Game presented by USAA since 2018 and presented its Veteran guests with a special swag bag at the Fan Fest prior to kickoff.
