American Legion Riders POW/MIA Seat Dedicated at Werner Park

On this Memorial Day Weekend when the nation pauses to remember all members of this country's armed forces who sacrificed their lives, the Omaha Storm Chasers dedicated the American Legion Riders POW/MIA Seat, a special seat dedicated to soldiers who are officially unaccounted for as Prisoners Of War and Missing In Action. The dedication took place at the conclusion of the fourth inning of the Storm Chasers' matchup against the Round Rock Express on Sunday evening.

"It is an honor to have this seat at Werner Park to pay respect all who have served in our armed forces, especially those who ultimately sacrificed their lives for our country," said Storm Chasers President and General Manager Martie Cordaro. "Werner Park will always have this empty seat as a memorial for those who are unable to be with us."
The seat is located in Section 125 of Werner Park, which is located down the left field line. The seat, alone in its own row, will remain unoccupied during every event that takes place at Werner Park. In front of the seat is a plaque with the inscription "Since World War I, more than 82,000 American service members remain unaccounted for. This unoccupied seat is dedicated to the memory of those brave men and women who sacrificed in service to our Great Country".
"Sacrifice is meaningless without remembrance" is also inscribed on the bottom of the engraved face of the plaque. The plaque and seat are both marked by the MIA/POW emblem, along with the phrase "You Are Not Forgotten".
As part of the dedication ceremony, a tribute video was also played on the Werner Park videoboard for Bob Swanson, a member and former commander of the American Legion Riders who passed away earlier this month. It was Swanson who spearheaded and fundraised for the seat on behalf of the American Legion Riders.
In addition to the dedication ceremony during the game, "Taps" was played along with a Rifle Salute to honor all fallen servicemen and servicewomen as part of the pre-game Memorial Day Weekend ceremonies at Werner Park.
The Omaha Storm Chasers are the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at Werner Park in Papillion, Sarpy County, Nebraska. For more information please visit www.omahastormchasers.com and follow us on Twitter @OmaStormChasers and "like" us at www.facebook.com/omahastormchasers.