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A pre-engineering student from Tri County Tech set the table for the 13 servicemen who lost their lives in Kabul, Afghanistan in late August.
Ashlyn Augustine brought up the idea of creating a “missing men table” on the Tri County Tech campus to honor the lives lost in the Kabul airport bombing. The table is currently set up in the Campus Coffee Shop.
Augustine said the situation in Afghanistan is different because she has a sister who is in the military who could be deployed at any time after she completes her technical studies. She said the news of what happened in Kabul strikes differently when you recognize the situation for what it is, especially if you have relatives who actively serve in the military because you are more careful.
Augustine’s sister attends Texas A&M University and serves in the Air Force.
With all of the negative things going on in the world, Augustine wanted to give her classmates something more honorable and happier to contemplate. Augustine said our country is feeling bad about COVID-19 and the focus on all the negative things happening across the country. She said showing the bittersweet and the good might turn us around a bit.
Each item on the table represents the emotions and feelings reserved for those who did not come home. Augustine says the table is round to show our eternal concern for our missing men and women. She said the fabric is white, symbolizing the purity of their designs when responding to the call to serve. The simple rose; displayed in a vase, reminds us of the lives of those Americans and their families and friends who keep the faith while seeking answers. The red ribbon symbolizes our continued determination to account for our missing.
Augustine added that the lemon wedge reminds us of their bitter plight. She said a pinch of salt symbolizes the tears of the lost and their families who yearn for answers after decades of uncertainty. The candle reflects our hope for their return, alive or dead. The Bible represents the strength gained by faith to support us and those lost in our country, founded as one nation under God.
The glass on the table is inverted, symbolizing their inability to share a toast. Augustine said the chair was empty. She said the empty chair is the unclaimed seat at the table.
Augustine – who provided everything on the table – is a sophomore at Tri County Tech. She is a student at Nowata High School and plans to graduate next year. Augustine runs a ranch in the Nowata area.
Tri County Tech Superintendent Tammie Strobel said she was proud of Augustine for having the passion to set up the table and for having the courage to ask. Dr Strobel said it is this passion and courage that they want to instill in all of their students. She said she was encouraged by Augustine because she had done something impactful based on how she felt.
Dr Strobel said Tri County Tech supports the military, United States veterans and military men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Strobel has a nephew who serves in the Marines. Her father is a disabled veteran.
Dr Strobel said she hopes the students at Tri County Tech know and understand how blessed we are to live in a country with a strong army protecting us.
Describing how the table made them feel, Dr Strobel and Augustine launched words such as patriot, proud, sad, mourning, honor and hope.
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