Boston Bruins players Tuukka Rask, David Krejci and Nathan Horton with the POW/MIA chair at TD Garden in Boston. During games and events, the chair will remain empty to honor U.S. military captured or missing in combat.
In remembrance of the more than 92,000 military personnel who are prisoners of war, missing in action or unaccounted for since World War I, Boston’s TD Garden recently became the first NHL/NBA arena to dedicate a Chair of Honor to U.S. Armed Forces who are POW/MIA.
In hindsight, the timing of the ceremony was ironic. The dedication took place in the days just prior to the Boston Marathon bombing during the Boston Bruins’ Military Appreciation Night, which was presented by the New Hampshire and Massachusetts National Guard.
Bruins players Nathan Horton, David Krejci and Tuukka Rask each purchased $5,000 worth of game tickets, which were given to local military members and their families. All three also helped install the Chair of Honor.
The black seat, emblazoned with the POW/MIA logo, and purchased by TD Garden, will remain cordoned off and permanently unoccupied at the venue to honor these veterans.
“It was fitting to unveil the Chair of Honor at Military Appreciation Night,” said Amy Latimer, TD Garden president. "We picked a location in the venue near where we conduct our eight-spoke salute. This is where we honor all branches of the military during every Bruins game.”
During this pregame salute, everyone in the arena stands, while Bruin players hit their sticks on the dasher boards in honor of military members.
Latimer and Cam Neely, Boston Bruins president, were at the dedication. Also in attendance was Maureen Dunn of Randolph, Mass., whose husband, Commander Joe Dunn of the U.S. Navy, was shot down over the South China Sea on Feb. 14, 1968 during the Vietnam War and is MIA. Her son, Joe Jr., and grandson, Joe III joined her at the dedication. The Dunn family has dedicated themselves to the POW/MIA movement.
During the dedication, an announcement was made over the PA system explaining why the chair was being donated and recognizing those who were involved with its installation. As the black drape covering the chair was removed, the audience erupted into applause and cheers.
“As an organization, we believed that this was the right thing to do,” Latimer said. “It didn’t take much time to make the decision to dedicate a chair in honor of these veterans.”
Also in attendance at the TD Garden ceremony was Joe D’Entremont, president of the Massachusetts chapter of Rolling Thunder, who has led the campaign to dedicate a Chair of Honor in highly visible locations throughout the state.
“Joe contacted us about a year ago to tell us about this POW/MIA initiative he was working on,” Latimer said. “We worked with him to find the appropriate location for the chair and a date for the dedication.”
The group’s goal is to publicize and educate the public on the POW/MIA issue.
“We originally donated POW/MIA flags, but then I saw a photo of a POW/MIA chair and thought it would be a great way to bring awareness to our cause,” D’Entremont said. “Kids will see the chair and ask their parents what it is, so we’re educating other generations.”
After two years of contacting area stadiums, things began falling into place for D’Entremont.
“We selected TD Garden, because many people visit the venue, and we thought it would be a great place for people to see the chair,” D’Entremont said.
Rolling Thunder also dedicated a chair at Gillette Stadium on Nov. 9 of last year and at Lelacheur Park in Lowell, Mass., home of the Lowell Spinners Short Season-A baseball team. A Chair of Honor also will be dedicated on July 4 of this year at Boston’s Fenway Park.
“We’re hoping this catches on nationwide,” D’Entremont said. “It took 18 months for this initiative to take hold, but all of Massachusetts’ stadiums do a lot for our veterans. This is a different set of veterans, and many are unaware of how many POWs and MIAs are out there.”
There also have been POW/MIA chairs installed in 20 of Massachusetts’ town halls. D’Entremont said he is hoping to eventually have one in each of the state’s 351 cities and towns.
Rolling Thunder’s initiative has recently received interest outside of the state, with an inquiry from the Seattle Mariners’ Triple A team as well as inquirers in Alabama, California and Georgia.
“TD Garden doing this with us and for us is icing on the cake,” D’Entremont said. “Our goal is to get these chairs inside bowl arenas in a visible place, since they represent 92,000-plus soldiers’ souls who are at the game with us.”
There are currently 90 chapters of Rolling Thunder throughout the U.S., with the organization’s main purpose being to get the word out about POWs and MIAs.
Interviewed for this article: Joe D'Entremont, (617) 522-0324; Amy Latimer, (617) 624-1050