CAMP PENDLETON — In a return to a 30-year tradition halted during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Los Angeles Chargers held a scrimmage and meet-and-greet on June 11 at Camp Pendleton to kick off the first day of the team’s minicamp session.
Col. Charles E. Dudik, along with 5,000 service members, welcomed Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh and the entire team to Paige Fieldhouse on Camp Pendleton, the Marine Corps’ largest West Coast expeditionary training facility.
Before the Bolts took the field, more than 100 children of service men and women stationed at Camp Pendleton took part in an NFL Play60 event where they were able to participate in passing, running and conditioning drills.
Harbaugh, along with defensive lineman Morgan Fox, the Chargers’ two-time Salute to Service nominee, thanked Dudik and all the military men, women and their families in attendance for coming out to the field and for the warm hospitality.
“It’s going to be tremendous to honor the courage and commitment of the Marines,” said Harbaugh. “They’re heroes. They don’t get a day off. I’m also excited about the kids that live on the base. We’re doing a Play60 there today. It sold out or the sign-up list was full in about two minutes, I was told. I’m excited…Warriors on the battlefield meet warriors on the gridiron.”
Chargers owner Dean Spanos presented Dudik with a framed “Pendleton” jersey and inlaid plaque, as well as a team-signed helmet.
According to a team release, the team walk-thru was extra special for players like Fox, who has three generations of family members who have served in the military.
“Growing up in a military household, you’re just happy to be here, give back and see the joy that you bring [to these military families],” said Fox. “Whenever there was an event on base when I was a kid, we would always go and try to do something. It really hit home for me that I was one of these kids on base, a son of a soldier. It definitely meant a lot to me.”
Fox, Justin Herbert, Derwin James and the entire Chargers’ roster met with military members and their families to sign autographs and participate in photo opportunities for approximately an hour after the conclusion of the team’s walk-thru.
