US Veterans want UCLA to stay at Jackie Robinson stadium

From his wheelchair on the third-base side of UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Stadium, Deavin Sessom looked out over the pristine grass field and tree-lined outfield that offered a glimpse of the Bel-Air hills in the distance.

This is baseball heaven for the Vietnam veteran.

“Every veteran that’s had a chance to come out here and watch a ballgame,” Sessom told the California Post, “I think it’s one of the best things that’s happened to us. It’s my therapy.”

Sessom is among a slew of U.S. military veterans who attend every UCLA home baseball game because they enjoy the serenity and feel embraced by the team. 

But there’s no guarantee they’ll be able to keep coming back beyond this season.

Last December, the U.S. 9th Court of Appeals upheld a ruling that would compel the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to build more than 2,500 units of housing on the West Los Angeles campus in which Jackie Robinson Stadium resides.

Some of that housing was slated to be installed in the stadium parking lot.

While UCLA received a temporary reprieve to continue playing inside its longtime baseball home for the 2026 season, the future use of the stadium remains in doubt.

“It’s in the lawyers’ hands now,” Vietnam veteran Bill McGaughy said, “so it’s like, what are you going to do?”

McGaughy is among those who want the Bruins to stay put. He makes the short walk over to the stadium from his home on the VA campus several times a month during baseball season, saying he likes feeling part of a community.

“Just being around people – that’s all, really,” McGaughy said. “Everybody here is having a good time.”

At every game, UCLA acknowledges the veterans in a variety of ways. The public-address announcer asks them to stand and be recognized. They receive free admission and a free hot dog. They’re also invited to a weekly barbecue, partaking in a spread that usually includes tri-tip, chicken, baked beans and potato salad.

One Army veteran named David who did not want to divulge his last name said UCLA also supplied the doctors and nurses who provided his care. What’s some of the best therapy for his Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder? Spending a few hours watching Bruins baseball.

“When I come inside this stadium, it’s just ballplayers and a field,” David said, “so all that other b— is back there.”

Recently, one veteran threw out the ceremonial first pitch. On Sunday, between innings of top-ranked UCLA’s game against Minnesota, Bruins players entered the stands to greet veterans and thank them for their service.

“We love the veterans, we love the VA,” UCLA coach John Savage said, “so I just felt it was a really good idea for our guys to go up on Sundays and greet all the veterans and shake their hands and it’s a really good, strong relationship and they’ve done so much for us and certainly for our country and it’s needless to say, but it’s a pretty cool bond.”

The support isn’t universal among the veterans.

McGaughy said one veteran occasionally stands outside the stadium with a bullhorn yelling obscenities, and there have been other minor disturbances.

“Some of the veterans up here, they don’t like it and they harass them and they ridicule the parents and all this stuff,” Sessom said. “But you know what? Hey, this is my therapy right here. I come here for a couple of hours, enjoy the game, have a good time.”

Added Theodore Smith, an Army veteran seated in a wheelchair next to Sessom: “They watch out for us. They give us food, they take care of us and they appreciate us being at the games. We want them to stay here.”

Robert McCrary, a former Army Ranger who completed seven deployments beginning with the invasion of Grenada in 1983, described his gameday experiences in a five-star Yelp review.

“At every game they always honor us,” McCrary wrote, “and make sure we know they are thankful for our service to this country. … Their kindness and respect for us is truly appreciated.”

It’s that kind of gratitude that has kept Army veteran William Florez coming back to Jackie Robinson Stadium for almost 20 years.

“Every time I come out, I say hello to the players and they say hello right back to me,” Florez said. “I feel like we’ve got a bond. That’s why I’d hate to see this go. I just don’t understand how they could let UCLA leave; they’re part of the VA, you know?”