CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — In memory of long-time ticket holder and Veteran, John Joslin, Whataburger Field is adding a new way to say 'thank you for your service' to active military and Veterans.
"He was an original. 'How long was that?' 2005. He had his network of friends here, the bartender being one. He was a guy who enjoyed a beer and a ballgame," said Brady Ballard, the General Manager of the Corpus Christi Hooks organization.
John Joslin was a decorated Veteran and even a purple heart recipient. He passed away recently, but the Hooks organization is making sure that as long as there's a Whataburger Field, there will always be a seat in his honor for fans who enjoy baseball and a beer just as much as he did.
"Put a purpose behind these seats," Ballard added, "I think more than anything, it didn't feel right to just put them back in inventory and sell them to the next person that might be interested. We wanted a purpose for it".
From his legacy, the 'Seats of Honor' came to life.
"Every game they celebrate Veterans by honoring them. A lot of people will do it with a 10% discount, but with the Hooks, we want to be able to look Veterans in the eye and shake their hand and tell them 'we really thank you for your service,'" said Travis Pettis, the Ballpark Entertainment Manager of Whataburger Field.
Pettis, a Veteran himself, said he spent six years in the United States Air Force as an X-Ray tech. He appreciates how the Coastal Bend embraces our service heroes.
"The younger Veterans are so supported, but back in the day, it wasn't always that way," Pettis shared. "Letting me be able to pass that on to the other Veterans when I'm here, and I see them, shaking their hand from a Veteran to a Veteran, thanking them for their service, means a lot to me as well."
The seats are up for grabs each game and information on how to apply can be found on the Corpus Christi Hooks website here.
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