PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Many young men have found themselves in the midst of battle at the age of 18.

 

They returned from overseas with limited support, post-traumatic stress and chronic illness, and often ended up living on the streets. But some found their way to Soldier On, which cares and helps pick homeless veterans back up and onto their feet.

 

Many of the 17- or 18-year-old young men on the Pittsfield High School baseball team aren't eyeing battlefields but rather college dorm rooms. But on Friday, they spent their practice time off the field and up at Soldier On, meeting, talking, and serving food to the veterans living there.

 

"It's a great lesson to learn for kids this age. Some of these guys at the same age, at some point in time, may have been fighting for their country at 18, 19 years old. While these kids are mostly looking at going to college and not thinking about anything like that," coach Seamus Morrison said. "It's great for them to understand, or try to understand, the magnitude of what these guys have gone through."

 

Last Saturday, Taconic and PHS junior varsity, varsity and alumni teams battled it out at Wahconah Park. PHS's booster club collected donations from a number of local restaurants to sell hot dogs and hamburgers at the games. But, there was plenty left over and instead of wasting the food, it was turned into a team building and community service opportunity.

 

"We had leftover food we just didn't want to go to waste or to freeze for another event. We thought we'd donate it back to the community," Michele Matthews, of the booster club, said. "Soldier On is a neighbor of our field — Buddy Pellerin Field — and we thought we'd share and give back these guys."

 

The team hopped on a bus Friday and instead of going to the practice field, went to a back yard at Soldier On, fired up the grill and handed out the food to the dozens of soldiers. The veterans chatted with the players about positions or the team's record.

 

"We just had three games in a row and this would be our only practice before our game tomorrow. But, we can forego a day of practice to come out and do a community service," Morrison said, adding that it is important for the players to give back to the community.

 

Matthews said there were at least 100 hot dogs and 100 hamburgers ready to go, enough to feed some 50 veterans expected. After the veterans received their meals - and seconds if they wanted - the team ate the rest. 

 

"These veterans gave a lot for us," Matthews said.

 

Meanwhile on the field, the Generals take on Drury High School on Saturday in North Adams. A win will qualify them for Western Mass. The team is current 9-6, an often asked question by the veterans, and looking to finish strong.