July 08, 2025

Fun and games and honor

Honor & Remembrance
News
The empty-chair memorial at New Jersey Jackals Baseball Stadium. (image via legion.org/memorials)
The empty-chair memorial at New Jersey Jackals Baseball Stadium. (image via legion.org/memorials)

Sports stadiums, arenas across the country pay military respects on their grounds.

The next time you’re at a sporting event, take a look around the venue. Whether prominent or subdued, you might find a military or veteran memorial, and some of them are included on The American Legion’s memorial database, which just passed the 3,800 mark.

American Legion Memorial Stadium, Charlotte, N.C.: “American Legion Memorial Stadium is a 17,000-seat stadium located on 7th Street in the Elizabeth community …. Ground was broken on the stadium in 1934, and the gates were officially opened two years later in 1936. The memorial is named in honor of local soldiers who fell in World War I. The stadium was a project of the Works Progress Administration.”

Dartmouth Living Memorial, Dartmouth, Mass.: in front of Dartmouth Memorial Stadium and next to the town hall; “for all who served or were killed in WWII.”

Soldier Field, Chicago: “the home of the Chicago Bears football team. The stadium was originally opened in 1924, but the name was changed to Soldier Field on Nov. 11, 1925. The stadium honors all the soldiers who died in combat. The stadium has been used for many sporting events, concerts and lectures over the years, but it has been the home of the Bears since 1971. There have been many renovations and updates over the years, and the facility is now owned by the Chicago Park District.”

POW/Missing in Action Memorial, Little Falls, N.J.: at New Jersey Jackals Baseball Stadium on the campus of Montclair State University; “an empty-chair memorial to honor those veterans who have not returned home.”

IUP Memorial Field House, Indiana, Pa.: on the campus of Indiana University of Pennsylvania; “an athletic facility dedicated to the memory of alumni who lost their lives in the armed forces. Inside the front lobby is a bronze plaque listing fallen members of IUP from World War I, World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.”

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