This was a significant Memorial Day weekend in Newport, Rhode Island. Our friends invited my wife, Melissa, and me to take a road trip to Newport for the weekend. On Sunday, we rented e-bikes to ride around the area. The bike shop manager suggested we stop by Fort Adams, one of the oldest forts in the United States, to see Boot on the Ground. Upon arriving at Fort Adams State Park, we found the Fort and were unsure what to expect.
Entering through the main entrance was an awe-inspiring sight with thousands of American Flags in Boots on the Ground representing service members who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the global war on terror since 9 -11.
The boots are organized by State in alphabetical order, each representing a U.S. service member killed in action. Each boot is adorned with a placard and biographical information, including military branch, rank, and circumstances of death.
We found the Maryland flag, and Melissa and I remembered our niece Meagan's very good friend from high school, who was killed in action in Afghanistan. This fallen Hero also knew one of Melissa's sorority sisters from our years at High Point College. I found his boot, and Melissa sent pictures to both of them.
We also learned from a veteran at the fort the significance of coins left on a boot. A penny usually means a visit; a nickel indicates shared boot camp training. a dime suggests shared service, and a quarter signifies present at death.
Later in the day, Melissa received a text from her sorority sister, Margaret, thanking her for sending the photos and saying that she had recently attended the fallen Hero's child's graduation and had passed the pictures on to his wife.
The Boots on the Ground Memorial for Heroes was launched in 2016 and now displays over 7,000 combat boots representing service members who have been killed in the global war on terror since 9 - 11.
Memorial Day is a day of remembrance, a day to let the families of the fallen heroes know we will never forget!
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