Army private and Yankee fan Nick Slauenwhite has a new appreciation for the Red Sox after a personal encounter with Curt Schilling while coming home for Christmas from basic training at Fort Sill, Okla.
While sitting waiting for his flight to board in Washington, D.C., “He walked up behind me and thanked me for my service. About five minutes went by and we were getting ready to board and he asked me if I was flying alone. I said, ‘Yes, sir’ and he offered to swap tickets with me. I didn’t know it was a first class ticket until his associate told me,” Slauenwhite commented.
After boarding and finding his seat, Schilling’s associate went back and, “switched seats with him, so he [Schilling] sits with me. He showed me pictures of him overseas with the troops. When we got done talking, I looked over and I see his championship ring, so I asked him about it. He told me his name was Curt Schilling. I don’t know a whole lot about baseball, but I recognized the name. I didn’t know if I should ask him for his autograph or his picture. When we got off the plane he thanked me for my service again and shook my hand. He was a wicked nice guy. I definitely have more respect for the Red Sox,” Slauenwhite said.
“I called my mom [Charlie] and she got all excited and my uncle was yelling in the background, ‘you don’t know who Curt Schilling is?'”
Schilling is best known for his bloody sock in the 2004 World Series, after pitching two games with stitches in his ankle to re-attach a tendon.
Schilling led the Red Sox pitching staff with over 20 wins in 2004. He also had 20 win seasons in 2001 and 2002 with Arizona. The Red Sox rallied in the American League Series, down zero games to three to beat the Yankees in the best of seven series and advance to the World Series, where the Sox ended the curse of the Bambino to win their first World Series since 1904.
Slauenwhite was required to wear his uniform home by orders of his commanding officer. “I was grateful, he [Schilling] did it out of the goodness of his heart.”
Slauenwhite had a lot of positive support on his trip home. “A lot of people came up and shook my hand and thanked me for my service. It just goes to show a lot of people appreciate what we are doing for the country. It was a good feeling,” Slauenwhite said.
After completing basic training, Slauenwhite will travel to Maryland where he will begin his AIT training for armament repair, where his job will be to repair large weaponry – tank barrels and rocket launchers. “I have no idea what they have in store for me after that.”
Slauenwhite is the son of Charlie [Charlene] Slauenwhite of Somerville and Jeffrey Slauenwhite of Litchfield.
