By Nevin Garthwaite
For the Kent Reporter
When the first torpedo hit the USS Raleigh at Peal Harbor, a young sailor named Art Wright was on board.
Despite the initial attack, he spent the rest of the day defending his ship and rescuing others who were thrown into the water or trapped below decks. After the attack, he remained on board and fought in the Pacific for the remainder of World War II.
Following the war, Art returned to the Seattle area and he and his wife Gladys made their home in Kent. Like many veterans, Art joined the local American Legion Post and was active in American Legion activities.
In 1961, Art Wright encouraged the Kent American Legion Post No. 15 to sponsor a baseball team in Kent and with the support of Barney Wilson, parks director for the city of Kent, and the first head coach, Jack Burrell, the Kent American Legion Baseball program was born.
Art helped with coaching, taking care of the field, raising money, keeping score, just about anything that needed to be done. Art was always there to do it.
In the early years, the team played games at the high school field, but Art Wright had a vision for something better.
The land on which Kent Memorial Park now sits was originally owned by the Kent American Legion Post and with Art’s vision and through the generous support of the American Legion, in partnership with the city, this ground became the park and baseball field we now enjoy. It was named Kent Memorial Park and nine years ago, during the Art Wright Memorial Day Weekend Tournament, Field No. 1 was renamed, Art Wright Field,in recognition of Art’s many years of unselfish dedication and service to youth baseball.
Art knew that youth baseball was expensive and he soon found a way to raise a lot of the money needed for the team. Art began managing a concession stand, telling great baseball stories, and offering the wisdom of his years to young coaches and players. It is estimated that during his time supporting American Legion Baseball, Art raised more thab a quarter of a million dollars, all of which he donated to the kids.
Art was always proud of the way legion baseball helped young players develop into fine young men. Many of those young men went on to join the military and fought in Vietnam, Grenada, Iraq and Afghanistan.
As a veteran, Art understood the importance of remembering our fallen military and the Art Wright Memorial Day Tournament was established more than 20 years ago.
Today, it is important for us to remember that we represent more than just ourselves, our families and our teammates. We also represent people like Art Wright, along with every player who ever stood on this field and all those people who, more than 50 years ago, gave of themselves to provide a great facility for us.
Art passed away two years ago, just three days before the start of his tournament. On that day we lost a great American and a true friend of youth baseball.
For many years, Art would throw out the first pitch at his tournament. Today, Art is represented by his great grandsons, Bailey and Connor Ryan, who threw out the first pitch in honor of their great-grandfather, Art Wright, last weekend.
Nevin Garthwaite is with the Bulldogs baseball club.
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