JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – An emotional ceremony was held at Cecil Field Friday to kick off the Week of Valor. A POW-MIA memorial chair that will be showcased at EverBank Field was unveiled at the Chapel of the High-Speed Pass. The ceremony comes amid continued controversy of protests from NFL players during the national anthem.
The Week of Valor is an annual observance honoring the area’s military community.
Recommended Videos
More than 200 people came together at a chapel at Cecil Field to honor our nation’s heroes. The chapel was re-dedicated as part of a longtime project to build a memorial park on the site to serve as a portal between the past and the future.
News4Jax spoke to several people who said the small memorial outside the chapel was neglected for years before it was restored.
“I just didn't like how it looked,” veteran Vincent Jackson said. “Nobody cut the grass. It looked run down.”
“It was just a raggedy, you know? Nobody raked the leaves. It was garbage. It was just in disarray, and it was Iike nobody cared,” veteran James Allen said.
For Allen, who spent 26 years of his life fighting for our country, the ceremony was emotional.
The chair holds a special meaning. It was presented as a symbol of those who should never be forgotten.
“They are the reason that we have the things that we have in this country,” Allen said.
Allen’s feelings resonate across the area’s military community during a time of controversy surrounding NFL players protesting during the national anthem.
Allen said he was a Jaguars season ticket holder, but now he’s boycotting the NFL.
“The chair is great to remember those who have given all, but I don't have any use for the NFL right now because of their protests,” Allen said. “It just hurts my feelings that it disrespects the flag and the soldiers and marines that have given their all.”
The POW-MIA chair at EverBank Field will be dedicated during halftime of the Jaguars game against the Colts on Dec. 3.