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Boots Memorial Display on Ford Island
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM – On Thursday, Sept. 8, 2023, military and civilian volunteers from all services joined the combined Chief Petty Officers of O’ahu in placing over 8,000 boots along historic Luke Field, located on Ford Island, JBPHH.
Known as the Boot Memorial, the boots originally recognized the names and faces of all who lost their lives through combat in service to our country since Sept. 11, 2001. Over the years the display has grown to also include first responders and service members lost in training accidents. This year marks the return of the display for the first time since the pandemic.
Ms. Theresa Johnson, an Army spouse and advocate for the military community, launched the Boot Memorial in 2012, after seeing the impact of PTSD and combat trauma firsthand. Following the loss of a family friend killed in Afghanistan in 2007, Johnson felt driven to find a way to honor and remember fallen heroes. “Through this display, we remember and honor their service, not the manner of their death,” she explained.
To begin the project 11 years ago, active-duty personnel donated their boots to serve as placeholders for the fallen. Some boots have personal messages or are decorated to honor the fallen, serving as a visual representation of the sacrifice of our fallen heroes.
The boots are on display from sunup to sundown through Sept. 12th. The display is free and open to those with base access and provides an opportunity to pay tribute to our fallen heroes, support their families, and let them know that their sacrifices will not be forgotten.
| Date Taken: | 09.08.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 09.08.2023 16:48 |
| Story ID: | 453014 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 500 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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