FISHKILL – The Hudson Valley Renegades named a female US Navy veteran as the “Veteran of the Game” Friday night during their dramatic win over the Jersey Shore Blue Claws.
Madison “Maddie” Fletcher, the first female commander of the VFW Post 5444 in Dover, was selected as the “Veteran of the Game” and was formally recognized during a mid-game ceremony along the first base line. Joined by family and friends, Fletcher and her service dog Remi, were introduced by the iconic Renegades PA Announcer Rick Zolzer.
Fletcher was a culinary specialist aboard the USS Wasp where she and her shipmates prepared meals for 3,000 sailors and Marines, helping to keep her fellow servicemembers fed and ready for battle.
Walking off the field after receiving applause from the more than 1,500 in attendance, Fletcher said the recognition was emotional. “It was humbling. I honestly almost started crying. We (veterans) go day to day and don’t feel like recognition is something we deserve and then to hear an entire stadium cheering for you is an experience that causes a flood of emotions and leaves you speechless – in a good way,” Fletcher told Mid-Hudson News.
