The Green Bay Packers and WPS Health Solutions paid special tribute to U.S. Army veteran Terry Stinemates during Thursday's Packers-Chiefs game for 'Operation Fan Mail.'
A Fond du Lac native, Stinemates served as a specialist in the U.S. Army from 1969 to 1971. He was deployed to Vietnam in September of 1969, just ten days after marrying his wife, Pat. Over the next year, Stinemates was shot twice, once in the shoulder and once in the ankle; he was awarded with two Purple Hearts.
A lifelong Packers fan, he has passed his love of the team on to his children. He attended Thursday's game with Pat, his wife of 50 years, as well as his daughter, Kristy Hoepfner, and his son-in-law, Joe Hoepfner.
Operation Fan Mail, which debuted in 2007, is designed to honor families with a member who is on active duty, or a member who is a veteran. The family member can be a spouse, mother, father, son, daughter or sibling. The Packers and WPS Health Solutions will host a family at each 2019 home game and recognize them on the field during pregame activities. A total of 119 individuals, families or groups have been recognized through the program thus far.
To choose families, the Packers and WPS Health Solutions are asking interested families, or friends of eligible families, to submit an essay, 500 words or less, on why a particular fan should be saluted next season. Essays can be sent to Operation Fan Mail, P.O. Box 10628, Green Bay, WI, 54307-0628 or online at packers.com/lambeau-field/operation-fan-mail.
In addition to being recognized on-field prior to the game, selected families will receive four tickets to the game and a $150 Packers Pro Shop gift card courtesy of WPS Health Solutions.
