By: RiverDogs Media
The Charleston RiverDogs and Boeing will host their first Hall of Honor induction ceremony of 2021 prior to Friday night's Boeing Military Appreciation Night at The Joe. The ceremony will recognize the late Brigadier General Thomas Mikolajcik of the U.S. Air Force and Chief William Tetrev of the U.S. Navy in its third class of inductees.
The Hall of Honor is the most recent addition to Boeing and the RiverDogs joint military appreciation platform, which aims to honor and celebrate military families in the Lowcountry through various recognition programs. The team inducted two classes of two inductees each during 2020. Friday's induction will be the first to take place in front of an audience at a RiverDogs game.
At each Boeing Military Appreciation Night moving forward, a minimum of two inductees will be enshrined into the Hall of Honor. A community military committee chooses the inductees from a long list of nominees, including many who are nominated through the Hall of Honor's public nomination link: https://forms.gle/
All inductees will be recognized on the field on a Military Appreciation Night, and will have their story told on the RiverDogs' brand new Hall of Honor website: https://www.milb.com/
The ceremony will take place on the field at The Joe at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, May 28 prior to that night's 7:05 first pitch against the Fayetteville Woodpeckers. Media members are invited to attend.
About the Inductees
Brigadier General Thomas Mikolajcik became forever connected to the Charleston community when he served as 437th Airlift Wing commander at Charleston Air Force Base from 1991-1994, one piece of a distinguished military career. He graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1969 and became a command pilot with more than 4,000 hours of flying time. While in command in Charleston, he helped activate the first squadron of C-17s in 1993 and was the Air Force component commander in Somalia during Operation Restore Hope. He is a recipient of the Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters. He retired from military service in 1996 and passed away in 2010 after a courageous battle with ALS. Following his retirement, Gen. Mikolajcik dedicated his life to fighting for the rights of active and retired military members to ensure service-connected disability for those with ALS and similar diseases. He was also instrumental in keeping Charleston's strong military presence by working hand-in-hand with local leaders to fight BRAC.
Chief William Tetrev, who was honored at a RiverDogs game earlier this season while receiving the Honor Ribbon, saved the life of another while risking his own during an accident earlier this year here in the Charleston area. On March 15, 2021, Chief Tetrev's Jeep was struck in the side by another vehicle traveling at high speeds, causing his Jeep to overturn 3 times. Without regard for his own life, Chief Tetrev exited the vehicle in the middle of the dark, busy intersection to remove his injured passenger, carrying her to safety and assessing her injuries. Chief Tetrev was nominated for an appointment to the Merchant Marine Academy by Senators Tim Scott, Lindsay Graham, and Congressman Joe Cunningham. He is 1 of 280 appointees out of approximately 2,000 applicants.
2020 Inductees
About the RiverDogs
RiverDogs season tickets, flexible ticket plans, and group tickets, including options to the Segra Club at Riley Park, are now available for the 2021 campaign at riverdogs.com/tickets or by contacting the RiverDogs front office at 843-577-3647 (DOGS). A full schedule for the 2021 season is available at riverdogs.com.
