Photo By Spc. Patrick Connery | U.S. Army combat boots bearing the names and photographs of fallen service members sit...... read more read more
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FORT HOOD, Texas — Under the open sky, rows of empty boots stretch across Sadowski Field in front of III Armored Corps at Fort Hood, serving as a reminder of those who never returned home.
Over 7,000 pairs of boots stand across the field, each one representing a service member who died while serving the nation since 2001. Attached to many of the boots are photographs, names and American flags, turning the display from rows of footwear into visible reminders of lives once lived.
For many visitors, the display creates a silence that words and statistics cannot replicate.
“This is more impactful when you can actually see it,” said James Elzie, program manager for Survivor Outreach Services with Army Community Service. “You can see pictures on those boots and realize these are real people who made the ultimate sacrifice. It hits home a lot more.”
This year marks the 14th annual Memorial Day boot display at Fort Hood. Originally created to honor Soldiers killed in combat during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the memorial has expanded over the years to include any service members who died while serving on active-duty since 2001.
Though the boots remain empty, the field itself feels heavy with presence.
Some boots are tied together, representing Soldiers who died alongside one another while deployed. Others stand alone beneath the Texas sky, carrying the names and faces of individuals whose sacrifice continues to affect families, friends and fellow Soldiers long after their passing.
For Cayssia David, seeing her late husband’s boots displayed each year serves as a reminder that his service and sacrifice are still remembered by the military community.
“We don’t want to feel like our loved one is forgotten,” David said. “It often times feels like everyone else is moving on with their lives, and we still miss our loved one every day.”
David’s husband, Spc. Steven Ray Givens, passed away May 8, 2005, after serving eight years in the Army. During this year’s display, David, her son and her mother added handwritten messages and additional American flags to his boots.
Elzie, who retired from the Army in 2007 as a sergeant first class after 22 years as a mortuary affairs specialist, said the memorial serves as an important reminder of the true cost to protect the freedoms Americans experience every day.
“Freedom ain’t exactly free,” Elzie said. “Somebody’s always making the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom, the comfort we have every day to go to work, go to the store and enjoy weekends with our families.”
The display is made possible through a collaborative effort across the entire installation. Units throughout III Armored Corps, including 1st Cavalry Division and other tenant organizations, provide Soldiers, equipment and manpower to help place thousands of boots across the field each year, ensuring fallen service members are honored for their sacrifice.
For Elzie, one of the most emotional moments comes when the display must finally be taken down.
“I wish it could be displayed every day so people can get that sense of reality,” Elzie said.
Memorial Day remains one of the few moments each year when communities across the nation collectively pause to reflect on the human cost of war. While many families gather for barbecues and holiday celebrations, Elzie hopes people also take time to remember why the day exists.
“It’s not just another day to barbecue and drink,” Elzie said. “Take a few seconds out of your day to recognize the Soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice.” For David, Memorial Day has become an opportunity to keep her husband’s memory alive through stories shared with family, friends and other Gold Star Families throughout Central Texas.
“When I’m sharing a story or memory about him, it gives me a chance to share him with people that maybe didn’t know him,” David said. “It helps me feel like he’s not being forgotten.”
Though the field has emptied, the legacy carried by each pair of boots remains, a lasting reminder the freedoms enjoyed today were paid for by men and women who never came home.
| Date Taken: | 05.28.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 05.29.2026 15:59 |
| Story ID: | 566303 |
| Location: | FORT HOOD, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 10 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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