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Veteran proposes permanent POW/MIA 'chair of honor' at Valley View athletic events
Summary
Captain Herschel Smith asked the Valley View Board of Education to support installing a permanent POW/MIA memorial chair in stadium stands and to coordinate an annual ceremony; he described symbolic elements and a proposed September 13 inaugural ceremony.
Captain Herschel Smith, a World War II veteran and community member, asked the Valley View Board of Education to support a permanent POW/MIA “Chair of Honor” to be installed in the stands at home athletic events. He said the chair would remain in the stadium as a dedicated memorial and be unveiled at a ceremony featuring an honor guard and a military roll call remembering thousands of missing service members.
"I'm Captain Herschel Smith," he told the board, describing a ceremony with an empty chair, a plate with salt and lemon, and an upside-down glass with a ribbon — symbols traditionally used to remember prisoners of war and those missing in action. He said representatives from local military units and veteran recipients would be invited, and that he envisioned seniors from the football team and band participating in the unveiling.
Smith outlined how the ceremony would proceed: an honor guard, a roll call of missing personnel during which bells would be rung and responses stated as “missing in action,” and taps following the roll call. He said the company that makes the chairs is based in Maine (named in discussion as ICC Incorporation), and that the district could receive a chair if it covers modest shipping or related costs. Smith cited a target date of Sept. 13 for the inaugural event and asked the board to help coordinate with athletic staff, the booster club and administrators.
Board members responded positively in discussion, thanked Smith for bringing the idea forward, and suggested staff coordinate with coaches, the booster club and administrators to work out logistics. No formal vote was taken on installation or procurement during the meeting; the matter was presented as a community request and next steps were left to staff coordination.
The board did not adopt a formal resolution or contract at the meeting; officials said they would follow up with athletic directors, the booster club and appropriate administrators to determine feasibility and timing.
