FT. CAMPBELL, KY — This Memorial Day weekend marks the final opportunity to visit a moving tribute at Fort Campbell as the Army transitions from its annual boot display to a more permanent memorial for Gold Star Families.
The display features 7,956 boots, each representing a service member who died defending our country since 9/11.
For Tommy and Cathy Mullins, the memorial holds deep personal significance. Every Memorial Day, they visit to decorate their son's boot.
"Brandon was a life force. He was the life of the party," Cathy Mullins said.
Their son, Specialist Brandon Mullins, was one of several soldiers killed while serving overseas in Afghanistan in 2011. He was 21 years old.
"We are proud of his service. We are proud of his sacrifice, and we know he is always going to be remembered and will outlive all of us through tribute such as this," the Mullins said.
The Mullins family finds comfort in connecting with other families who share similar experiences at the memorial.
"When you start looking at them, you just realize that you're not alone," Cathy Mullins said.
"We're thankful to be a part of the military families. We are so sad Brandon is gone, but we are so proud of what he has done," she added.
This year marks the final installation of the boots memorial as Fort Campbell transitions to a more permanent tribute for Gold Star Families.
Despite their loss, the Mullins family works daily to honor their son's memory through how they live their lives.
"We honor the fallen by living. We don't sit around being sad all the time. We take moments like today to remember and reflect, but boy he would want us to have fun and to celebrate," the Mullins said.
The couple has found meaningful ways to honor their son's sacrifice, including a special tribute jump.
"I think the highlight was we jumped with the Army Golden Knights to honor Brandon, which was incredible," Cathy Mullins said.
As they took photos of their son's boot "one last time," Cathy Mullins reflected on the emotional experience: "It's a little overwhelming, isn't it?"
The boots memorial will remain open through Monday, Memorial Day. Surviving family members will have the opportunity to collect their loved ones' boots even after the memorial closes.
They coordinate to collect the boot on their behalf or contact the Survivor Outreach Services office by calling (270) 956-1205, (270) 798-0277, or (270) 412-8457 to make arrangements to collect the boot at a later date.
This story was reported by Amanda Roberts and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
If you have thoughts on this story, email me at Amanda.Roberts@NewsChannel5.com
