For almost a decade, Vandy’s Restaurant in the Statesboro Mall has provided a meal to veterans on Memorial Day. This year, however, the restaurant plans to honor service members with more than just free food on Monday.

One table in the restaurant will be designated as the “Missing Man Table,” a place of honor in memory of fallen, missing or imprisoned military service members. The Missing Man Table displays, among other items, a place setting and empty chair for a service member who cannot partake, a red rose representing shed blood and a Bible, symbolic of strength gained through faith.

The idea to include the longstanding tradition often used at military dining facilities and military branch balls was suggested by Statesboro Kiwanian Dan Foglio, the organizer of Bulloch County’s annual Memorial Day and Veterans Day Programs.

Foglio, who served with the Army during the Vietnam War from 1961 to 1967, said: “The Memorial Day Commemoration, Veterans Day Celebration, the Missing Man Table – I do this for the love of America. No pat on the back needed.”

Foglio said that Vandy’s is the only restaurant that offers a full, free meal on Memorial Day for service members, though several offer meals on Veterans Day.

Army Veteran Don Poe, who served from 1973 to 1976, has taken part in the Memorial Day event at Vandy’s for a number of years.

“Vandy’s is a fine establishment that recognizes the contributions of our military men and women and the importance of our veterans, the ones here and the ones that never made it back,” Poe said. “The table they’re adding this year, that’s going to be a very poignant thing to see, especially if you’re a veteran or you have friends who didn’t return.”

The staff at Vandy’s welcomes the opportunity to honor military personnel. When new-owner Brandon O’Mahoney took over the operation of the restaurant, Foglio asked if he would continue with the Memorial Day meal. “He overwhelmingly said, ‘yes,’” said Foglio.

 “We look forward to this every year, to be able to do something for our veterans to say ‘thank you for serving our country,’” said Vandy’s General Manager Melynda Smith.

Smith knows by name most of the veterans that come to the event and said most are regular and frequent patrons for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Waitress and assistant to Smith, Gin Rogers, who will be decorating for the event, said her favorite part of the day is the “thank you” notes the Veterans write on napkins or other papers and leave on the table.

“We get lots of hugs that day,” said Rogers. “If you leave here feeling unloved, I just don’t know how it can happen.”