CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Confession: After 30 years of covering live sporting events, I sometimes get desensitized to patriotic symbols.
It happens when you've heard, by my math, the national anthem more than 5,000 times and seen countless more military members honored.
It's not out of disrespect.
You just sometimes take these things for granted, like you do many things in life that you're around all the time.
But this week -- this weekend in particular at Charlotte Motor Speedway -- I am reminded that patriotism in sports is a big deal. It began Monday when I met retired Navy SEAL Mike Thornton, one of 80 living Medal of Honor recipients, during a golf fundraiser for the USO.
At each hole, there was a plaque telling the heroic deeds of others who received the military's highest award for valor in action against an enemy force.
Most read like the one for Thornton: Upon learning the Senior Advisor had been hit by enemy fire and believed to be dead and believed dead during a three-man Vietnamese Navy SEAL patrol, Thornton returned through a hail of fire to the lieutenant's last position; quickly disposed of two enemy soldiers about to overrun the position, and succeeded in removing the seriously wounded and unconscious Advisor to the water's edge. He then inflated the lieutenant's lifejacket and towed him seaward for approximately two hours until picked up by support craft.
Geoff Burke/NASCAR/Getty ImagesEven the tires carry a message this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.It was humbling beyond belief.
All of the stories were.
They reminded me I never should forget the significance behind the patriotic symbols that take place at sporting events, at NASCAR events more than most.
Thornton certainly doesn't, particularly when it comes to NASCAR. He grew up in Spartanburg, S.C., with Hall of Famer David Pearson, his racing hero, and 2014 HOF selection Fireball Roberts. Thornton once drove in a charity event with Pearson, Cotton Owens, Lee Petty and Richard Petty.
"I beat [Richard] Petty that day," Thornton said. "I didn't beat Pearson though. And Cotton couldn't see past his hand."
In 1960, Thornton attended the inaugural World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He still calls it the World 600 -- I love that -- even though it's been the Coca-Cola 600 for years.
He spent time with the late Dale Earnhardt, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been his favorite driver since he put the Navy SEAL Trident on his Nationwide Series car years ago at Daytona.
NASCAR is in his blood, and Thornton can't thank the sport enough for everything it does to honor the military.
"God bless we live in a country where we're able to do this," Thornton told me.
Thornton won't be at CMS for Sunday's 600. He is in California for a memorial honoring more than 20 Navy SEALS.
But there will be three other Medal of Honor recipients in attendance. There also will be 10,000 troops in the stands for what is billed as the world's largest military tribute. Six hundred will march through the crowd down to the frontstretch.
There also will be a military member standing with each of the 43 drivers on the starting grid, including a female Marine that will be with Danica Patrick.
Retired Lt. Col. Oliver North will read a speech about the meaning of freedom.
Every Goodyear tire will carry the words "Salute our troops."
"NASCAR's respect for the military is in our DNA," NASCAR president Mike Helton said.
There is no way to be desensitized to this, particularly this weekend.
David Newton | email
ESPN Staff WriterABOUT THIS BLOG
David Newton
David Newton, an award-winning NASCAR writer, began as a national motorsports columnist at ESPN.com in December 2006. Prior to joining ESPN.com, Newton served as the lead writer for NASCAR.com.
Newton previously covered NASCAR, the Carolina Panthers, Clemson University and University of South Carolina athletics for The State in Columbia, S.C., from 1984 to 2006. He also served as a correspondent for Sports Illustrated, and covered seven Super Bowls, dozens of college bowl games, five Masters, two U.S. Opens, two men's Final Fours, one women's Final Four and every major race on the NASCAR circuit.
The 1981 Wofford College graduate has won numerous state and national press association awards, including the 2009 Aflac Motorsports Journalism Award and second place in the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) columnist category. He also grabbed second-place national honors for his coverage of University of South Carolina football from the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) in 1992 and the award for excellence in news reporting from the South Carolina State Press Association in 2002. He has broken major national stories, including the Carolina Panthers' steroid scandal in 2004.
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