'Welcome home.' Clemson dedicates POW/MIA Chair at Memorial Stadium |
CLEMSON – A man wearing a Vietnam Veteran hat and shirt slipped out of the rain and under the canopy just before the start of Friday’s ceremony, his white hair and flecks of white in his beard belying the youthful vigor and purpose with which he walked. Following the ceremony, that man walked up to the front row and knelt on one knee. He grabbed Air Force Major (Ret.) Richard “Dick” Vaughan (Clemson ’67) by the hand, gently holding one frail hand in his two hands, one comforting hand on top, and said the most poignant words of the day.
“Sir? Welcome home.” Vaughan nodded as Brigadier General (Ret.) Chalmers (Hap) Carr, (Clemson ’60) sat next to Vaughan, looked at his friend with awe and admiration. Vaughan flew multiple missions in the back seat of Carr’s F-4 Phantom over Vietnam and was shot down a month before Carr returned home. Vaughan spent 467 days in captivity but hasn’t seen Vaughan since the day Vaughan was shot down. Despite the outpouring of rain, there was an outpouring of emotion at the ceremony, which dedicated The POW/MIA Chair of Honor. This empty Chair, which sits to the right of Howard’s Rock at the top of the hill, will provide a constant reminder of those service members who have not returned home. According to the Department of Defense – more than 80,000 American service personnel are missing from previous conflicts. They took a solemn oath to defend our country and freedoms – regardless of the dangers and risks required to fulfill that mission. They embody the very best of the American spirit – and we are eternally in their debt – for their courage and sacrifice. The P-O-W / M-I-A Chair of Honor is a powerful symbol of our ongoing commitment to these patriots. We will never forget them – and we will stand with their families in the hope that – one day – their loved ones will return home. We are aware of 23 Clemson alumni – from World War 2 through the present – who were Prisoners of War. Three of those were in attendance at the ceremony and sat in the front row with their loved ones. All three were POWs during the Vietnam War. Air Force Colonel William “Bill” R. Austin II – Class of 19-59 – who spent 1,986 days in captivity. Navy Commander Robert S. Fant, Jr. – Class of 19-60 – who spent 1,694 days in captivity. Air Force Major Samuel Richard “Dick” Vaughan – Class of 19-67 – who spent 467 days in captivity. Austin survived relentless beatings and torture for more than five years at the hands of the North Vietnamese Army. In his 80 combat flights before being shot down over North Vietnam, Austin earned a Silver Star, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, and 10 Air Medals. He consistently lied to and misled his captors during countless interrogations, but never gave them the information they wanted. He received a second Silver Star for consistently resisting the enemy’s demands through the entirety of his imprisonment by calling upon his deepest inner strengths. Austin stood tall and ramrod straight during Friday’s ceremony and said he never gave up hope that he would one day make it home. “That was always in my mind, that this won't go on forever. I didn't think. I was hoping,” Austin said. Austin then said that he is proud that Clemson takes its military heritage seriously. “The university here has been tremendously supportive of our military. They still are today. There are a lot of ex-military students going to school here,” Austin said. “All of this supports our military heritage - the Scroll of Honor, Memorial Stadium, all of those tributes to Clemson students, and the sacrifices that many of them made. Some of them being the ultimate sacrifice. Of course, the Scroll of Honor is for them. That ground-pounder who tromped through the mud and the jungle for three or four years, they were important, too. And we try to recognize all veterans.” Jennifer and Frank Blake, both members of the Class of 2000, were generous in their support for the chair. Jennifer was a Health Science major, and Frank majored in Political Science – and was in R-O-T-C. He went on to serve in the Army – and is now Vice President for Renovator and Remodeler Trades – for Home Depot. It was emotional watching those three men – three heroes – on the front row. Each of them has endured something most of us could never dream of. And somehow, even on this Veteran’s Day, a simple “thank you” isn’t enough. “Thank you for your service” seems hollow. But one veteran said it best when he looked Major Vaughan in the eye and said what we all want to say. Welcome home, sir. Welcome home. Here is a pic of the chair, which is in honor of those were either POW or MIA, along with the plaque. pic.twitter.com/wV3ZygPp7O
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