Campaign to Award Yogi Berra the Presidential Medal of Freedom Heats Up

If you’re a baseball fan, you know the iconic Yogi Berra – a longtime Essex County resident – as the originator of such oft-quoted phrases such as “It ain’t over ‘till it’s over.”

But did you know that he also served with the U.S. Navy during the D-Day invasion?

An online petition to award Berra with the Presidential Medal of Freedom is heating up on petitions.whitehouse.gov. As of Wednesday – a day after the Hall of Fame catcher’s 90th birthday – the petition had garnered 15,408 out of 100,000 necessary signatures to get an official response from the White House.

According to the petition:

“Yogi Berra should be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. A man of unimpeachable integrity and respect, he befriended the first black and Latino baseball players in Major League Baseball. He is currently an ambassador for Athlete Ally, which promotes LGBT rights in sports. Berra enlisted in the U. S. Navy during World War Il and served during the D-Day invasion. He continues to be an avid supporter of our armed forces. Berra greatly values education. While with the Yankees, he created a scholarship at Columbia University that is still active 50 years later. His namesake Museum & Learning Center serves 20,000 students annually with character education programs and teaches the values of respect, sportsmanship and inclusion that Berra has demonstrated throughout his life and career.”

Read and sign the online petition here.

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