CINCINNATI— For a little over a minute a sea of thousands of baseball fans quieted to hear Retired Airmen, Felita LaRock sing the national anthem. During the last line they erupted in applause and cheers as a flight of three AH-64 Apache Helicopters and one UH-60 Black Hawk Helicopter buzzed overhead. It is Opening Day at the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio, where the Cincinnati Reds are hosting the Boston Red Sox. The March 26, 2026, flyover marked the start of a new season for the Reds. For Chief Warrant Officer 3 Paul Gorse, the event held even greater significance.
"Its moments like this that make us feel connected to America", said Gorse. "We spend a lot of time away from home, training and deploying to remote areas of the world. When we are here and integrated with the community it feels great."
Chief Warrant Officer 3 Gorse is a 153A, Standardization Pilot in Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, and recently returned from a 9-month deployment. Before he took to the skies, he was an Infantryman detailed as a U.S. Army Recruiter in Cincinnati from 2012-2015.
"It was a really warm community to Servicemembers", said Gorse. "You really get to know the area when you recruit because you go into schools, community centers, and people's homes to talk to their families about joining the military. Feeling all their positivity towards the Army made me feel very welcome."
The Cincinnati Reds have a clear connection to the city; it is Major League Baseball's fourth oldest team founded in 1882. Over the past few years, they have bolstered their relationship with the military, by having flyovers during the Opening Day ceremonies. Event staff say a lot goes into planning the event, but the end result is always worth the effort.
"Flyovers take about 3.5 months of planning between the Reds, Federal Aviation Administration, and the military", said Ash Popour, Cincinnati Reds promotional events coordinator. "Getting to meet new people from all over the country is incredible. I'm grateful to be able to work with the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade and learn more about what they do day in and day out, flying helicopters. It is an extremely fun and rewarding process."
Gorse says the city has grown since he was last there in 2015 but is excited to return and continue supporting recruiting efforts in a different way.
"It's coming full circle", said Gorse. "My career is sunsetting so to come back here for the flyover and hopefully inspire another generation to think about service and be a part of such a special day for Cincinnati is awesome."
The Opening Day flyover was more than an aerial display, but rather a celebration of service, community, and baseball. CW3 Gorse's return to the city highlighted the ever-building connection between the U.S. Army and Cincinnati. Fans were given an unforgettable start to the Red's 2026 season and a thank you from one of their own.
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