Tate Aggies Honor 13 Fallen Service Members

September 13, 2021

The smell of Aggie Fries was in the air below the Aggie Shack Friday night at Tate High School’s Pete Gindl Stadium.

Tate’s Showband of the South and the West Florida band battled to be the loudest shortly after kickoff.

And the Tate AJROTC stood watch over 13 chairs. just off the track and the end zone of Carl Madison Field.

Up on the grass above, a few kids tossed a football. Some sat watching the game. A group of girls took selfies for their insta. #Cute #Happy #GoAggies #Merica.

These chairs that would not be filled on this Friday night with a faint hint of fall weather in the air. Thirteen chairs, thirteen photos, thirteen pairs of boots, and 13 American flags. Seats saved for 13 brave men and women who never made it home from war. Seats to remind fans about what’s really important.

It may have been a tough task for Tate against West Florida Friday night. They lost. Pretty bad actually. But the Aggie spirit won.

As the team left the field, many players stopped by the 13 empty chairs. They knelt. Some silent, some in prayer. All in respect of the 13 heroes lost. And freedom.

The Aggie spirit won Friday night. #GoAggies #Merica.

NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Comments

5 Responses to “Tate Aggies Honor 13 Fallen Service Members”

  1. 429SCJ on September 16th, 2021 5:53 am

    Life and death, service and sacrifice.

  2. William Lingo on September 13th, 2021 2:32 pm

    I’m a 100% service connected veteran and would like to thank all of the Tate AJROTC for your tribute, BRAVO ZULU, may you all have fair winds and following seas!!!

  3. Taco on September 13th, 2021 11:31 am

    As a 1980 Aggie grad and a retired Navy veteran THANK YOU to the AJROTC for such a solemn and dignified memorial to our fallen. You make us proud!!

  4. "D" on September 13th, 2021 8:15 am

    Jr, you said it all. Thanks you.

  5. Jr on September 13th, 2021 4:14 am

    First of all, big thanks to Tate High ROTC for what they did for these AMERICAN SOLDIERS on this night. I was in attendance and this brought chills to this old man seeing this display of PRIDE. Although the game didn’t go our way it was still a solemn reminder that life is precious and can be ended at any moment, especially in a war that has soldiers not far away in age as those that were in a battle in the football field. May OUR GOD continue to BLESS OUR TROOPS, OUR COUNTRY and HER PEOPLE…great job Tate High School.