Many Royals fans may remember Marine Officer Ben Lohman.
On April 5, the day the Kansas City Royals received World Series rings, Lohman was selected as an honorary guest to throw out the first pitch. In front of tens of thousands of fans, Lohman tried his hardest to stand and throw to home plate. However, while fighting back almost 100 years of wear and tear, Lohman was unable to throw the ball.
After thunderous applause and calls of support, Royals third basemen Mike Moustakas ran to the mound to help Lohman. The moment, captured in videos and pictures, served as a heart-warming way to honor a veteran.
RIP to a True American Hero Benedict “Ben” Lohman. An honor and special memory of an Opening Day I will never forget pic.twitter.com/Cc490zj0qR
— Mike Moustakas (@Mooose_8) July 1, 2016
Lohman passed away on June 25 at the the age of 97.
Long before he was chosen to throw out the first pitch at the Royals game, Lohman was known by family and friends for his "never give up" attitude.
Born and raised in Lansing, Kansas, Lohman enlisted in the United States Marines Corps shortly before the Pearl Harbor attacks. As a soldier on the front lines of World War II, Lohman was stationed in Asia. During the course of the war, he was captured by Japanese forces and sent to prison camps. Lohman survived three years inside deadly camps and experienced horrors beyond imagination.
"Beheadings, beatings, you had to sound off every morning," explained Dave Seibold, who is married to Lohman's daughter Teri.
On Friday, Seibold and two of Lohman's daughters showed off artifacts and told stories from Lohman's time in the war. Ration cans, journals, empty bullets, and pictures filled a kitchen table.
Carol Lohman, his daughter and an Air Force veteran, said Ben Lohman's determined attitude likely formed during his time in the prison camps.
"Perseverance. He had that never give up attitude," she said.
Journal entries marking Ben Lohman's time in the war also helped shed light on his approach to the situation.
"I would and could survive on whatever came my way living one day at a time."
"I hoped that I would survive because lack of hope can kill you."
After surviving the prison camp and war, Seibold said Ben Lohman made it back home.
"This man saw a lot of atrocities," he explained. "He went through a lot himself."
Decades after the war, many people know the veteran now from his day at Kauffman Stadium.
Seibold explained that Ben Lohman practiced throwing pitches for weeks leading up to the occasion.
"I think it meant a lot to him," Seibold said. "He was excited. It was great."
Watching the moment unfold, Seibold said he could tell his father-in-law either slipped or ran out of energy while trying to throw the pitch.
"Things didn't go the way Ben had originally planned," explained Seibold. "Mike Moustakas took over from there."
The moment Moustakas came to the mound, shook Ben Lohman's hand and said a few words is something the Lohman family will never forget.
"It was emotional but it was great," Semibold said. "That is who Benedict Lohman was. All the way until he died."
When moving around the stadium afterwards, Ben Lohman's family explained how fans continued to show support for the Marine.
"All along the way, fans were shaking his hands, high-fiving him. It was really cool," said Lohman's daughter Teri Seibold.
After passing away last weekend, Ben Lohman will be remembered as a true American hero.
Carol Lohman said the moment at Kauffman Stadium helped add to his legacy.
"That was amazing to see him say how much that meant to him," she said.
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Tom Dempsey can be reached at Tom.Dempsey@KSHB.com.
