Aaron Toppen was 15 when he got the chance to see his beloved White Sox from the radio booth at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago.
Army Pfc. Toppen, a Mokena native, was killed last June at age 19 with four other American soldiers during a friendly-fire incident in Afghanistan.
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His family on Friday received a standing ovation from the crowd at U.S. Cellular Field when they were presented with a Sox jersey bearing Toppen’s name.
“The support for the military from them was unbelievable,” Pam Toppen, Aaron’s mother, said Sunday.
Aaron was a lifelong fan of the South Side team.
The honor came partly as a surprise to the Toppen family, who were invited to U.S. Cellular Field and met with Sox first baseman Adam LaRoche, a White Sox spokesperson said.
The jersey reads “PFC TOPPEN” with the number 15. It was presented to Toppen’s family between innings of Friday’s game against the Seattle Mariners. Pam said the crowd stood and cheered as part of a tribute to the military.
The Lincoln-Way East High School graduate’s death deeply impacted the close-knit community.
The jersey ceremony was the latest in a series of memorials and tributes in his memory.
A motorcycle ride was held Aug. 23. The event raised money for a local nonprofit and to help an injured Marine who lives in the Chicago area.
Mokena and Frankfort Township renamed a section of Townline Road “PFC Aaron Toppen Memorial Drive” in August 2014. And the second annual Our Fallen Hero 5k run/walk is set for 8 a.m. Sept. 26 starting at Willowview Park, at 115th Avenue between 197th and 195th streets in Mokena, according to ourfallenhero5K.com.
Nick Swedberg is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.