He is 103. His voice is soft and garbled. So when he was asked about throwing out Wednesday’s first pitch at Busch Stadium, his daughter, Carmen Dawson McKell, leaned in to translate — “It was a thrill.”
Willie Dawson was Staff Sgt. Willie Claude Dawson of the U.S. Army, and he served with the Buffalo Soldiers in World War II. The centenarian was a part of the Cardinals’ Military Appreciation Night. Strangers came up to him to thank him for his service — from fans to Cardinals manager Mike Shildt. Upon throwing the first pitch, he was smothered with cheers like a hug.