This Memorial Day, May 30, the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum will dedicate new Seats of Honor in the Allison & Howard Lutnick Theater to American veterans and members of the military. Every American who has served our country is a guardian of freedom and a vital part of our national history. We recognize their service, we commemorate their sacrifice, and we honor them for defending our treasured way of life.

Since 2011, we have been able to share 153 incredible stories through the Seats of Honor program. Stories of our veterans and their families. Stories of mothers, sons, sisters and brothers. Stories of friendship, of love and of loss. These stories are permanently woven into the heart of the Intrepid Museum, with these Seats of Honor standing as a reminder of the importance of duty, sacrifice and service.

Previous honorees include former astronaut Richard Truly and retired admiral James Stavridis. Seats alongside theirs tell these incredible stories:

		Lt. Edward James “Barney” Broms, U.S. Navy – Jim, as he was known to family, flew with squadron VA-66, which was deployed with USS Intrepid to the Gulf of Tonkin. On August 1, 1968, while flying a mission over North Vietnam, Jim’s A-4C Skyhawk encountered enemy fire and was shot down. The crash site was behind enemy lines, and he remained listed as missing in action for 43 years. In 2011, remains found near the crash site were positively identified, and Jim was finally laid to rest with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery on September 7, 2012. On Memorial Day 2013, Jim’s sister, Marjorie Waddell, joined us in dedicating a Seat of Honor in memory of her brother’s service. His story is told in our new exhibition On the Line: Intrepid and the Vietnam War.
		Lance Cpl. Eugene C. Mills III, U.S. Marine Corps – Motivated to serve after the attacks on 9/11, Gene joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 2008. In 2012, Gene’s unit was deployed to Sangin Valley, Helmand Province, in Afghanistan. The marines, positioned on a rooftop, came under heavy small-arms fire. While Gene provided cover for his fellow marines on the ground, he was hit by an insurgent’s bullet and killed. Gene’s family gathered at the Museum on Veterans Day 2015 to honor his bravery and his commitment to his fellow marines.
		Petty Officer 2nd Class Vito Peter Greco, U.S. Navy Reserve – On November 1, 1944, Peter was aboard the small destroyer USS Abner Read, supporting landing operations in Leyte Gulf, when the ship was struck by a Japanese kamikaze plane. The ship took just 36 minutes to sink, but Peter survived the incident and later shared his experience with his family. He recalled running across the deck to abandon ship when he saw another sailor who did not have a life jacket. The sailor was panicking because he could not swim. Peter, a strong swimmer, took off his life jacket and handed it to the sailor. The two jumped to safety together. Peter’s family joined us on Memorial Day 2014 to dedicate a Seat of Honor and commemorate Peter’s bravery.

The legacies of these men—and others honored alongside them—will be shared with more than one million visitors each year and will live on at the Museum for generations to come. To learn more about the Seats of Honor program, and how you can leave a lasting legacy at the Museum, please click here or call 1-800-223-0062.