The Buffalo Bisons signed World War II veteran Roy Kinyon to a one-day contract on Monday, making the Fourth of July game extra special for the 100-year-old and his family.

It was a day that was decades in the making. Kinyon, a Navy veteran, finally joined the team that began recruiting him 80 years ago.

Kinyon led the Niagara-Orleans League in batting average with the Barker Raiders during a 1941 championship campaign. Following a successful high school baseball and basketball career, he was invited to try out for the Bisons in 1942.

"This fella from the Bisons says, 'I'll have you come up and take batting practice with us.' I says, 'Oh, why thank you. The only thing is,' I says, 'I'm leaving tomorrow morning for the Navy,'" Kinyon said. "Our catcher was there. He says, 'I'm going with you.' So that's how we got in the Navy."

Kinyon served during World War II for four years as a chief motorist machinist. But on Monday, he finally joined the Buffalo Bisons, which signed the Appleton native to a one-day contract.

Kinyon threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Saheln Field at this year’s KeyBank Independence Night Celebration.

"I, of course, always wanted to be a baseball player, but you never know," he said. "This makes up for it, I guess."

Members of Kinyon's team for the day said the veteran set an example.

"It's what everything in the country should be about," Buffalo Bisons General Manager Anthony Sprague said. "Someone putting their personal beliefs and wishes aside to protect everybody else...go to war for our country...and to finally give this person maybe a little bit of what they missed out on 20 years ago or 80 years ago, when they may have been 20 or 18, and to finally give them maybe a dream come true, it's got to make you feel good. Maybe it's gonna give him a little bit of happiness, and the families some happiness as well."

Buffalo Bisons outfielder Chavez Young said, "He's selfless. And I mean, words can't explain how much that means to a lot of kids, a lot of people here today. Everybody's here in America right now because of him. We're living with our freedom and our independence."