Ohio University unveils POW/MIA Chair of Honor at Peden Stadium
Ohio University unveiled a POW/MIA Chair of Honor at Peden Stadium during its Oct. 24 Military Appreciation Game, creating a lasting tribute to American service members who were prisoners of war or remain missing in action.
November 12, 2026
Share:
Disclaimer: It is not the intent of Ohio University to imply an endorsement by any service branch of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Ohio University unveiled a Prisoner of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA) Chair of Honor at Peden Stadium on Oct. 24, creating a permanent tribute to U.S. service members who were prisoners of war or remain missing in action.
The public unveiling was preceded by a private ceremony on the evening of Oct. 23, where more than 50 members of the Ohio University and local military communities, including university executive leadership, gathered to recognize the significance of the tribute.
Speakers included OHIO alumna Robin Smith (BFA ’72), whose father, U.S. Marine Corps Col. Robert N. Smith, was declared missing in action after his plane was shot down over North Vietnam in 1969. Smith and her family spent decades searching for answers about his fate, an experience she documented in two films, “He’s Only Missing” (1978) and “Letting Go” (1995).
During the ceremony, Smith shared a personal connection between her family and the stadium, recalling that the last thing they did together before her father left for Vietnam was attend an Ohio football game at Peden Stadium. The chair now stands in the same place as a tribute to her father and all service members who have not returned home.
The chair was unveiled during the pregame show ahead of Ohio’s home football game against Eastern Michigan as part of the University’s Military Appreciation Game. It is positioned near the Army ROTC Red Leg Brigade cannon emplacement, where it will serve as a visible reminder of the service and sacrifice of American military personnel.
The chair was donated by Albany Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 9893 as part of a partnership with Ohio Athletics and Ohio University’s Veterans and Military Student Services.
Lt. Col. (Ret.) Terry St. Peter, director of Veterans and Military Student Services at Ohio University, said he was humbled and deeply grateful for the community's support surrounding the dedication, noting that more than 50 members of the community and Ohio University’s executive leadership came together to recognize the significance of this commitment.
"To see so many people share in the passion and purpose behind bringing the POW/MIA Chair of Honor to Peden Stadium was incredibly rewarding," St. Peter said. "It reinforces that this chair represents something much bigger than a physical tribute—it is a collective promise that we will never forget those who have not returned home and the families who continue to wait.”
A second POW/MIA Chair of Honor also is planned for the Convocation Center.
The chair will remain at Peden Stadium as a permanent symbol of remembrance and a place reserved for those who cannot be present.
Robin Smith speaks at the private unveiling event.
By placing these chairs at Ohio University, we are creating a lasting tribute to their sacrifice and a visible reminder of our responsibility to remember them and their families. We are grateful to our partners at Ohio Athletics and the Albany VFW for helping make this meaningful tribute possible.
