Fort Bragg in Need of Donated Military Boots for Memorial Display
Do you have new or gently used military boots sitting around that you no use? Fort Bragg needs your help!
The North Carolina military installation is asking for boot donations for a memorial display in August.
Military boots fill the field at Hedrick Stadium during the annual Run, Honor, Remember 5K Memorial, with each boot representing a service member who has fallen.
"Enjoy a non-competitive 5K run/walk and pay tribute to our fallen Soldiers to remember their sacrifice as you pass by the boots lining the field," the event's description reads.
Joee Bohle was three years old when her father was killed in Afghanistan. She told WRAL that she plans to decorate his boot in his honor and place it on the field.
"We've lost so much, but we've gotten so far," she said. "Freedom is not free. Freedom is the sacrifice of our fallen troops."
Any style military boot in presentable condition can be donated.
Fort Bragg Army Community Service
As Charlotte Watson, the Fort Bragg Survivor Outreach Services Program Manager, told ABC11, they're in need of donations because they're extremely low on military boots that are in good condition.
"Due to the weather and the climate and storage, our boots have deteriorated. We had some with mold, some that had dry rotted," said Watson, adding that they had to throw out 4,000 boots from storage.
People are encouraged to donate boots before August 13, which gives organizers enough time to prep the boots for the display. For more information, call Survivor Outreach Services at (910) 396-0384.
