Ohio University will unveil a Prisoner of War and Missing in Action Chair of Honor at Peden Stadium in Athens during the pregame show on Saturday, October 24, honoring the service and sacrifice of American military personnel as part of the university’s Military Appreciation Game against Eastern Michigan.
The chair will be placed near the Army ROTC Red Leg Brigade cannon emplacement inside the stadium, according to Ohio Athletics. The unveiling is scheduled ahead of kickoff, when Ohio ROTC will serve as the community partner for a game set aside to recognize the military community and those who have served the country.
The project brings together Ohio Athletics, Ohio University’s Veterans and Military Student Services and Albany Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9893. The VFW post donated the chairs, and the initiative will install POW/MIA Chairs of Honor at both Peden Stadium and the Convocation Center, the university said.
Ohio Director of Athletics Slade Larscheid said Ohio University is a proud veteran community and called it an honor for Bobcat Athletics to partner with the Veterans and Military Student Services Center on the project. He described the Chair of Honor as a meaningful tribute to prisoners of war and those missing in action, serving as a visible reminder of their sacrifice within historic Peden Stadium.
Lt. Col. Terry St. Peter, retired, director of Veterans and Military Student Services at Ohio University, said in the announcement that the chair serves as a powerful reminder that the men and women who have served the country must never be forgotten. He said placing the chairs at Ohio University creates a lasting tribute to their sacrifice and a visible reminder of a responsibility to remember them and their families, and he thanked Ohio Athletics and the Albany VFW for helping make the tribute possible.
As part of the Military Appreciation Game, veterans in the Athens and Albany areas who are members of local veterans organizations can receive complimentary tickets through their respective organizations while supplies last. Veterans and currently serving military members can also receive a complimentary ticket on game day at the Peden Stadium box office at Gate 2 by presenting a valid veteran or military ID, Ohio Athletics said.
Additional information about the installation of a POW/MIA Chair of Honor in the Convocation Center will be shared as that part of the project progresses, the university said. For tickets and additional information about Saturday’s game in Athens, Ohio Athletics directs fans to OhioBobcats.com.