“Boots on the Ground” reminds visitors of Memorial Day’s true meaning

May 25, 2019 12:34 am

NEWPORT, R.I. (WLNE) — It’s hard to understand the impact of war until you see thousands of boots lined up, each one representing a life lost.

That’s what Operation Stand Down has done in organizing the “Boots on the Ground for Heroes” memorial — this year at Fort Adams for the first time.

The group held a special ceremony Friday for Rhode Island Gold Star families, who added boots representing their loved ones.

“It takes your breath away,” said Gold Star mother Lynn St Germain – Lundh, who lost her 22-year-old son, Marine Corporal Brian St. Germain, in Iraq in 2006. “That’s a person. That’s a brother. That’s a sister, a mother, a father. In my case, a son. It certainly brings it home, and tells us the cost of war.”

The nearly seven thousand boots represent the American service members killed in the line of duty since the September 11, 2001 attacks.

But like that somber day in American history, the day a service member dies is a shock to friends and family.

“The day is pretty much etched in my mind,” said Shawn Twomey of Portsmouth. “So it’s nice to come back and see people remember.”

Some of those people include visitors to Fort Adams who were not expecting to encounter the memorial.

“It’s not something that I really think about that much,” said Kristina Smith of Portsmouth. “And to come here and see it, and the amount of flags, and how young the people are. It’s really amazing.”

“I think everyone should see this,” said Shayna Whitcomb, a visitor from New Hampshire. “Or have an idea of the magnitude of how many people we’ve lost.”

It’s a stark reminder of the pain, but also a chance to heal.

“For me, it’s healing,” said St Germain-Lundh. “I think for a lot of the other family members it’s healing too. To know that our children are not forgotten. To know that our loved one is remembered – not just by us, but by a grateful nation.”

The boots will be on display at Fort Adams through the Memorial Day weekend.