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Video by Roann Gatdula

Honoring Our Nation’s Fallen: 9/11 Boot Memorial 2025

Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam

Sept. 4, 2025 | 1:12

Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam volunteers prepare this year’s 9/11 Boot Memorial display on Luke Field near the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, Sept. 4, 2025, on Ford Island at JBPHH, Hawaii.

Volunteers placed over 9,000 combat boots along an 8K route to create a moving tribute honoring fallen U.S. service members since Sept. 11, 2001. Each boot displays a photo and personal information to remember the individual sacrifice of these heroes.

The full memorial will remain open to the public through the morning of Sept. 12 at the corner of Enterprise and O’Kane streets on Ford Island. Visitors are encouraged to walk among the boots, reflect on the sacrifices made, and take photographs of this unique tribute.

The memorial setup marks the beginning of the annual Boot Memorial Hero and Remembrance Run.

The Boot Memorial Hero & Remembrance Run, formerly known as the Fisher House Hero & Remembrance Run, Walk or Roll, was started in 2012 by Theresa Johnson, to honor service members, by recognizing the names and faces of all who lost their lives through combat of service to our country since September 11, 2001.

Following the setup, the full memorial will remain open to the public through the morning of Sept. 12 at the corner of Enterprise and O’Kane streets on Ford Island. Visitors are encouraged to walk among the boots, reflect on the sacrifices made, and take photographs of this unique tribute.

The display has grown over the years to includes not only Killed in Action, but also non-combat related deaths, training accidents and others. This memorial is to honor their service, not the way they died. (U.S. Navy video by Roann Gatdula)

For more information, visit: https://www.bootmemorial.org/