Never Forgotten: “Missing Man” Chairs Honor Veterans Who Have Not Returned

The Missing Man Chair is a symbol of respect for American military personnel who have not returned from conflict – for prisoners of war and those missing in action or otherwise unaccounted for. The chair also serves as a testimony to their loved ones still waiting for closure.

On the Grand Strand, nine such chairs have been dedicated by Rolling Thunder SC3 since 2011.

Many have marveled at the strength-in-numbers Rolling Thunder motorcycle events, particularly the annual Rolling Thunder Run in Washington, D.C., over Memorial Day weekend – starting with roughly 2,500 bikes and riders in 1988 and growing into to what the event’s web site touts as the world’s largest single-day motorcycle event: “Now with over a million riders and spectators combined, Rolling Thunder has evolved into an emotional display of patriotism and respect for all who defend our country.”

Rolling Thunder has long been on the forefront of advocacy in regard to the POW/MIA issue, and its mission is “to educate the public that many American prisoners of war were left behind after all previous wars and to help correct the past and to protect future veterans from being left behind should they become prisoners of war-missing in action.”

The Missing Man Chair is a part of these efforts.

Bill DeVaughn was president of Rolling Thunder SC3 for more than four years. He is still a member, and he served in the Navy during the Vietnam War.

“We have done six high schools, one at Warbird Park, one at Coastal Carolina University and this May we dedicated one at the North Myrtle Beach Park & Sports Complex,” he said, adding that the chairs are to remain empty until the last serviceperson is accounted for.

The six high schools are St. James, Socastee, Green Sea Floyds, Aynor, Conway and Carolina Forest.

The ceremonies can be quite emotional, according to DeVaughn.

“It depends on the individuals,” he said. “Sometimes we are honored to have one of our POWs show up there, which is a nice touch. But one thing you have to remember is that there are families who would like to know what happened to their loved ones – and the chair shows the people that will serve in the future that we are not going to forget them should they become captured or missing in action. We are not going to let it go away and we are going to make sure they get back home.”

DeVaughn became involved with the POW/MIA movement because one of his best friends’ fathers was missing in action.

He said the chairs, as well as the iconic black POW/MIA flags, should serve to remind people that we still have Americans unaccounted for.

“And don’t forget to get on your politicians about that, because they play a big role in bringing our people back. The government is doing what they can, but like anything, you need to stay on them. It’s not about Republicans or Democrats – it’s about Americans,” he said.

The Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association, or CVMA, is a volunteer organization made up of combat veterans of all branches dedicated to supporting and defending those who have also served, with a focus on helping veterans care facilities provide the necessities they need to operate – such as food, shelter, clothing and guidance.

Local CVMA chapter 34-3 secretary Jewels Strickland is an Army combat veteran, having been with the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team and deployed to Afghanistan twice. He said the CVMA comes out to support Rolling Thunder at various functions, including Missing Man Chair events, adding that Rolling Thunder does the same for them.

“The Missing Man Chair is a place set aside to remember that there is somebody that would probably want to be here that can’t because they have given up that ability,” he said, adding that, to the general public, the meaning is probably lost somewhere in the blast-out to the patriotic masses.

But is there a bridge between those who actually served and the civilian public?

“There should be a bridge,” he said. “There should be an understanding in the general public about what a veteran sacrifices and what a POW or MIA person and their families have sacrificed for our day-to-day freedoms.”

He said it disturbs him and a lot of his fellow veterans that a lot of people are lost on this, but they continue to try to educate the public.

“We have things like the Missing Man Chair to say, ‘Hey, stop for just a moment. Think that someone paid for that patriotism. Somebody paid for that right for you to be here.’”

Coastal Carolina University is the only university in the state to have installed a permanent Missing Man Chair of Honor at its facilities – fittingly at Springs Brooks Stadium on April 23 on Military Appreciation Day during a regular season game against High Point University.

It was because of CCU’s Student Veterans Association’s contacts with the CVMA and coordination with the school’s Department of Athletics and university leadership that they were able to install a Missing Man Chair the chair as a constant memory of those who never returned, according to Denny Powers, director of Veterans Services.

Powers is also a retired Army officer who served for 22 years. He sees the symbol as a sign of respect as well as a fitting memorial.

“From my perspective, the response has been very favorable. People stop to read the plaque. Older observers can be seen taking a moment to reflect. Myrtle Beach was a military town, and the sentiment of supporting the military did not go away when the base closed,” he said.

Coastal Carolina University’s military funding coordinator Gregory Nance works with student veterans and dependents who are using various VA education benefits and other tuition assistance through the military. He began his military career in the Air Force, and after a break from service joined the Army.

“I served in the Army National Guard and the regular Army until I was medically retired in 2009 after suffering injuries in Afghanistan,” he said.

He said he was engaged in conversations with the campus chapter for the Student Veterans Association.

“We began to talk about what we could do for the military and how we could show appreciation not only for our student veterans here at Coastal, but for our nation’s veterans and their families and dependents,” he said, adding that the subject of the Missing Man Chair came up.

“We thought that it would be an excellent idea to show our continued appreciation for our military veterans who haven’t made it home.”

Nance was on hand on the day the chair was dedicated.

“It was very well received. The president [David DeCenzo] was there; the athletic director [Matthew Hogue] was there, and this was just a regular season baseball game. There was nothing major on the line, but it was Military Appreciation Day and all of those executives came out. Coastal is just such a great school as far as the administration in helping student veterans.”

He said players from Coastal and High Point got a chance to mingle with some of the veterans in attendance before the game started.

“We had the CVMA as well as Rolling Thunder there – and they had their bikes out on the field. It was awesome,” he said.

From his point of view as a veteran, Nance said that he knew what he was doing when he signed his enlistment papers.

“I joined during peacetime – but I knew that the opportunity was there for the potential call to go and defend our country. Having gone to war myself – when we do go off, we want to make sure that our families know that we will come home. Not every veteran gets that opportunity. For those families and for the veteran community, that chair symbolizes our love and our dedication to trying to get everyone home that we can.”

George Bontya served in the Air Force from 1968-1972 and spent a year in Vietnam, and said the POW/MIA movement took hold in that era and eventually expanded to include prisoners of war and the missing from all wars.

He flies a POW/MIA flag outside of his home, and gets angry if he doesn’t see one being flown outside government buildings.

“Sometimes I say something to them. I say, ‘You fly an American flag and you fly the state flag. How come you don’t fly the POW flag between them? Fly three of them,’” he said.

At most reunions or banquets he attends, the first order of business is to pay tribute to the Missing Man Table of Honor, with place settings representing all branches of the military. One such Missing Man Table of Honor set for one is in place at Veterans Café & Grill in Myrtle Beach.“It’s the first thing you do. Before you break bread, you recognize them for not being there.”

He said he tears up during these tributes, and during the course of this interview it was clear that this was an emotional subject for Bontya.

And he is surprised that more civilians are not in attendance at Missing Man Chair ceremonies.

“Half of them don’t know what it is,” he said. “You go to these ceremonies and 90 percent of ones you see there are veterans. Why aren’t more civilians there? I don’t get it.”

The Blue Star Mothers of Coastal Carolina, a local chapter of The National Blue Star Mothers of America, is dedicated to supporting mothers and grandmothers of deployed servicepersons. Among many other things, the chapter sends out care packages to troops and is a sponsor of Wreaths Across America, which is a program to place wreaths on the graves of veterans at Florence National Cemetery.

Chapter president Linda Tucker said her organization has a very close relationship with Rolling Thunder and will assist them in any way they can. Blue Star Mothers of Coastal Carolina attends most of the fundraising events sponsored by other local veterans’ organizations.

“To me personally, the Missing Man Chair is a symbol of all of the military personnel who have never returned home,” she said, adding that her husband had a very good friend who was missing in action in Vietnam for approximately 30 years.

“The family and friends of that soldier never forgot him or stopped thinking about him. When his remains were finally recovered his family and friends were at long last able to say their goodbyes and hold his funeral. These Missing Man Chairs represent all of those soldiers like him who have yet to be found.”

She said the symbol of the Missing Man Chair should be a reminder to all civilians of the many families who have sacrificed their loved ones to our Country and still have not been able to say goodbye or have closure.

“Civilians should also be reminded of the many missing POW/MIAs this Country has sacrificed for our freedoms,” she said.

Richard Hathorne is a member of the Greatest Generation.

He left high school to join the Navy in during World War II and served from 1943-1947.

“I was 17 years old, and I had one more year of high school to finish. Very fortunately for me, I never got to the Pacific – but a lot of my mates didn’t make it back from the Pacific, as they didn’t get back from the Atlantic and Europe also,” said Hathorne, now 90.

“Any time I see anything symbolizing the men that went on before me and didn’t come back, I have that stirring inside,” he said. “It chokes me up at times because I know today how lucky I am to have had all these years that they didn’t have. And I am very grateful for that – and I am grateful to them for allowing me to have that. Because of them that I am here today.”

But what should this mean to civilians?

“It should make them realize that, yes – [World War II] was a long time ago, but it’s still not forgotten – especially with us veterans that were there – and also their sons and daughters that followed behind us and were in conflict also.”

Hathorne said he is amazed at how many times total strangers have picked up his tab at restaurants when they realize he is World War II veteran.

“The waitress will come over and say my dinner has been paid for by a gentleman and his wife, or something like that – and it makes me feel good. It was 70 years ago and they still remember us, and that’s a good thing. We veterans don’t ever want them not to remember us – because without that memory of us, they don’t have anything to look back on and know why our country is where is it today because of men like myself and those around me that served.”

And for those who have not returned, the POW/MIA flag says it all.

“You are not forgotten.”

This story was originally published July 3, 2016 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Never Forgotten: “Missing Man” Chairs Honor Veterans Who Have Not Returned."