Ready, aim … oh, no, wait

The New York Yankees – in their second and final season as tenants at Shea Stadium while their ballpark in the Bronx is being renovated – sponsor Army Day 49 years ago tonight but not without a glitch.

OK, more than a glitch.

Frankly, the Yankees wreck parts of their temporary home as their ceremonial 21-gun salute by a detachment from Brooklyn’s Fort Hamilton is performed too close to the outfield fence.

Way too close.

The result: Even with firing blanks from the canons, portions of the fence are destroyed, while other parts of the fence are set ablaze.

The inadvertent mayhem takes place in front of a Tuesday night crowd of 31,809 at Shea, a crowd that eventually sees the Yankees beat the California Angels and future Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan 6-4.

The legendary Walter Cronkite files this report the next night for CBS.