By Lulu

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They say there is nothing more “American” than baseball and apple pie, but what makes Americans who we have been blessed to be over the past 237 years are our military men and women who have made incredible sacrifices to give and protect our freedom.

I was honored to attend an event at Jackie Robinson Stadium in Daytona Beach on the 4th of July. The guys from Rolling Thunder Chapter 8 were dedicating a stadium seat to remind all of the POW/MIA issue. The seat happened to be used in the movie that came out this year “42” which was Jackie Robinson’s number and the movie is about Jackie crossing the race barrier and playing as the first black in American baseball, just making it all the more fitting that it ended up in Daytona Beach at the park named for him. Rolling Thunder Chapter 8 entered the ballpark on their motorcycles for a sold out crowd as part of the dedication ceremony. John Trask addressed the crowd, Senator Dorothy Hukilla long time supporter of Rolling Thunder FL 8 and Veterans spoke briefly and Viet Nam Veterans provided the color guard. After the National Anthem was sung by Rondi Pepper the crowd cheered as the American and POW/MIA flag was raised for the first time at the ball field, so appropriately on the 4th.

The chair has been painted with the POW/MIA logo and is displayed on extended legs made of a bamboo looking material representing the time spent by too many in the jungles of Vietnam. The empty chair will be permanently displayed to remind all that the cost of freedom is great. It will remind us of those that have been held as prisoners of war and those who have are still missing after wars…that the 83,000 heroes who still remain unaccounted for since WWI missed out on so much, such as watching a baseball game with their young sons. The normal day to day living that we all enjoy our military often miss, just by being stationed away from home. These sacrifices of daily living are huge, and families everyday endure that cost with the dread that much worse could happen to their loved ones as they stand guard. God bless America and those who have sacrificed so much to make us and to keep us free!

Rolling Thunder member Rich Malfitano wrote: “We long for the day when these great souls will be reunited on American soil. Remember our current and only active POW in Afghanistan, SSG Bowe Bergdhal captured June 30, 2009. Negotiations continue for his release.”

Thanks to the following organizations that made this day possible: Rolling Thunder Fl. 8 Port Orange, the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 1048 Daytona Beach, Disabled American Veterans Chapter 84 Holly Hill and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1590 Daytona Beach. We would also like to acknowledge Decorative Electro Coatings, Dave’s Furniture Refinishing, Dick Pacheco, BD Custom Inc., Sharky and Great White Welding and PDM, Inc. A special thank you to Jim Kreinest and Gary Benson for the leg work to make this happen. Without their help and donations this POW/MIA chair display would have been extremely difficult to realize.