November 11, 2018, marked the 100th anniversary of the armistice that ended the hostilities of World War I. To commemorate the event, Memorial Stadium designated a special POW/MIA chair. Each game, a veteran of U.S. military service takes his or her post next to this unoccupied chair in honor of the more than 800 Nebraskans lost in combat, but whose fate remains “UNKNOWN.”
A plaque is installed permanently by the chair with the following verbiage: “You are not forgotten. Since World War I, more than 92,000 American soldiers are unaccounted for. This unoccupied seat is dedicated to the memory of those brave men and women and to the sacrifice each made in serving this country. …” The unoccupied chair is located in North Memorial Stadium Section 33, Row 18, Seat 27.
The UNL campus is one of only a few universities that still maintains a full complement of all military branches represented through its Reserve Officer Training Corps. While self-reported, there are more than 1,100 students who are veterans, members of the military or dependents with many faculty and staff who have military experience. The Military and Veteran Success Center is a full service center for this student veteran population, offering educational support and retention programs to assist in their academic success.