ATHENS, Ohio — Ohio University will unveil a Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Chair of Honor at Peden Stadium during the pregame show on Saturday, Oct. 24, Ohio Athletics announced Monday, Oct. 19. The unveiling is part of Ohio’s Military Appreciation Game against Eastern Michigan and will honor American service members who were prisoners of war or who remain missing in action.
The chair will be placed near the Army ROTC Red Leg Brigade cannon emplacement inside historic Peden Stadium, where it will remain as a visible, permanent reminder on game days. A second Chair of Honor is also planned for the Convocation Center, with Ohio Athletics saying additional information about that installation will be shared as the project progresses.
The initiative brings together Ohio Athletics, Ohio University’s Veterans and Military Student Services, and Albany Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9893. The chairs were donated by Albany VFW Post 9893. Ohio ROTC will serve as the community partner for the Oct. 24 game, which will recognize the military community and those who have served the country.
“Ohio University is a proud veteran community, and it’s an honor for Bobcat Athletics to partner with the Veterans and Military Student Services Center on this project,” said Ohio Director of Athletics Slade Larscheid in the university announcement. He called the chair a meaningful tribute serving as a visible reminder of sacrifice within Peden Stadium.
Lt. Col. (Ret.) Terry St. Peter, director of Veterans and Military Student Services at Ohio University, also welcomed the tribute. “The POW/MIA Chair of Honor serves as a powerful reminder that we must never forget the men and women who have served our country,” St. Peter said in the announcement, adding that the chairs create a lasting tribute and a reminder of responsibility to remember service members and their families.
For Athens and Albany-area veterans, the game will also include a ticket offer. Veterans who are members of local veterans organizations in the Athens and Albany areas can receive complimentary tickets through their respective organizations, while supplies last, according to Ohio Athletics.
Other veterans and currently serving military members can receive a complimentary ticket on game day at the Peden Stadium Box Office at Gate 2 by presenting a valid veteran or military ID, the university said. Fans seeking tickets or additional game information can visit OhioBobcats.com. For Southeast Ohio residents attending Saturday, the pregame unveiling offers a moment of remembrance before kickoff against Eastern Michigan.