Wright State will be placing a chair in the Nutter Center to honor Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action. Student Government Association (SGA) is raising money for the chair in collaboration with the Veteran and Military Center. The fund is called the ‘Champion Gradian Fund.’
Ivan Mallett, SGA chief of staff, is leading this project.
“This project is important to me because I am a veteran, and with that, I grew up with a sense of reverence for those that came before me,” Mallett said. “Since World War I, around 92,000 Americans have gone Missing in Action or become Prisoners of War. A lot of times these people are forgotten by the general public, so I think it’s important for us to put this simple yet powerful memorial to those individuals so they are not forgotten.”
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According to Mallett the chair is to remain empty in honor of those MIA or POW.
“It remains empty symbolizing that there is always a place waiting for their arrival back home,” said Mallett.
Prisoners of War (POW)/Missing in Action (MIA) chairs are found across the United States in sports arenas, stadiums, town halls and state capitals. These chairs are meant to represent service members who are unable to fill them. They also remind us of the men and women who serve our country every day.
Seth Gordon, director of Veteran and Military Center on campus said the VMC is supporting the SGA initiative.
“The SGA has taken the leadership to provide a deeply meaningful and appropriate gift to the WSU community,” Gordon said. “The POW/MIA chair recognizes those individuals who are no longer a part of our lives. It reminds us to remember the sacrifice that a friend or family member made to insure that we could experience the joys and celebrations of “normal” life in a place like the Nutter Center. The VMC is delighted to support this student initiative.”
Mallett said he is appreciative toward everyone in the university who has supported the project
“I want to especially thank Greg Sample, John Cox, and Dr. Seth Gordon for working with us on this project,” said Mallett.
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Gregory Sample is the chief operating officer for Wright State and has worked closely with SGA during the process of adding the chair.
“The University is very honored to partner with Student Government and work together on getting a POW/MIA Chair installed at the Nutter Center,” said Sample. “Wright State values it longstanding and strong connections to our military partners and the presence of a single empty chair, identified with a plaque, sends a powerful message and reminder of service members who had been prisoners of war and those who are still missing. The Nutter Center location provides a venue of high visibility and recognition.”
According to Mallett, the hope is to raise enough money to add another chair to the baseball stadium and football field.
Prisoners of War (POW)/Missing in Action (MIA) chairs are found across the United States in sports arenas, stadiums, town halls and state capitals. These chairs are meant to represent service members who are unable to fill them. They also remind us of the men and women who serve our country every day.
It is common for POW/MIA commemorative chairs to be associated in some way with the location in which they are displayed; for example, at a sports venue it might be a folding stadium seat. In a town hall, it might correspond to the building’s architectural style or historic period.
There are two types of the POW and MIA chair: fixed and portable.
Fixed chairs are stadium chairs that bolt to concrete, aluminum and wood decks or floors and can be used indoors or outside. They can be permanently left outside.
