Former Middlesex Township veteran honored by Steelers
Retired Army Col. Brian Dunmire’s dad, Richard Dunmire, has had Steelers season tickets for almost 50 years, but the family has never had better seats for a game than they did Sunday, Oct. 29.
The Steelers game Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars was also Brian’s first since he deployed to Europe with the Army in 2013, and the first time he was cheered on by about 67,000 football fans.
Brian, who grew up in Middlesex Township and graduated from Mars High School in 1989, retired from the Army on June 30 after a career spanning 31 years. He said one of the best parts about being honored by the Steelers organization through its Salute to Service program Sunday was getting to go down to the field alongside his wife, Maggie, and three children, Jessa, Joshua and Kaity.
“I’m lucky for the opportunity to spend time with the family and be able to do these kinds of things,” he said. “I was ecstatic that it wasn’t just me on the field, it was my family.”
Brian and his family now live in Chesapeake, Va., and traveled several hours to Pittsburgh to attend the Steelers game. His dad and stepmom, Janice Dunmire, now reside in Cranberry Township.
Janice said she mailed a handwritten letter to the Steelers organization shortly after Brian’s retirement, to see if he could be honored through Salute to Service. The entire morning through the rest of the Steelers game against the Jacksonville Jaguars was a pleasant whirlwind, Janice said.
“They sent a special parking pass for the Stage AE parking lot; we were invited to a luncheon at Stage AE. That was at 10 o'clock,” she said. “This was an elaborate indoor tailgate. Casey Hampton showed up and interacted with people in the VIP party. They asked that we be at the stadium by noon.”
Brian and his family were then escorted to their seats, which were close to the field, by Acrisure Stadium staff, where they watched the game until around halftime. They were led onto the field shortly after photos of Brian started appearing on the Jumbotron.
“Toward the end of the first half they came and got us and took us into a suite area in the stadium that led down to the tunnel where the Steelers come out,” Janice said. “We were invited to go on the field, but he had to stay back so he could be introduced. First commercial stoppage in the third quarter they would do the presentation.”
While on the field, an announcer read a bio with information about Brian, and he was also presented with a plaque by employees of U.S. Steel. However, the plaque — made of three layers of steel — is going to be mailed to him because it is so heavy, Brian said.
After soaking in the moment and waving a Terrible Towel, a rally towel associated with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Brian was escorted back to his seat along with his family, and they were able to enjoy the rest of the game.
“We made a special stop at Dick's Thursday to make sure he had a new (Terrible Towel) for the game,” Janice said. “There was so much care given to making it a positive activity and just to show such respect. I was really impressed by that.”
Brian said after serving in the Army for more than 30 years, seeing so many people enjoying a Sunday afternoon reminded him of why he enlisted in the military in the first place.
“It’s nice to not only have that moment of recognition but also to see that much joy,” Brian said. “That’s why we do what we do. If not, why do we do what we do?”
