Veterans Ceremony, the vacant chair set up?

Question

What is the meaning of each item on the table?

Answer 1

I don't know about the table, but it is an old practice to have a vacant chair to remind folks of those who did not come back.

If you are in the old "classics" section of the video rentals, or see it in one of those old movies channels, look for "The Fighting Seabees", a 1944 movie with John Wayne. There is a scene of a party when a construction crew returns from a government contract where several of their people died. They had a table set and chairs reserved in their memory. It is an old practice that was depicted there.