My Military Boots

Last week, I saw an interesting prompt asking: “Tell us about your favorite pair of shoes, and where they’ve taken you.” I thought, “This is actually a good prompt, and my boots have a story to tell.”

As you can see from the title, my favorite pair of shoes is actually my military boots. My running shoes are a close second, but their story is not as interesting.

There were many boots before the ones in the picture, and their story started in 1985 (you can learn more about that here) and continues to this day—though in a different role, of course. So, 40 years and counting.

My last pair of boots – Photo by Edward Ortiz

My military boots took me out of poverty and provided direction in my life when I really needed it.

They carried me across many places in my beautiful island of Puerto Rico—from Fort Allen and Camp Santiago in the south to the Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in the east and Fort Buchanan in the north. They even took a short trip through the University of Puerto Rico in Mayagüez during my college years, with a big jump to Fort Lewis, Washington, for a summer training before returning to Mayagüez.

My boots took me to many places in the continental United States and Hawaii.

In Hawaii, they accompanied me on many walks through the gulches of Oʻahu and a couple of 25-mile road marches through Schofield Barracks and East Range Road.

They took me through the woods of Fort Benning, Georgia (now Fort Moore), the fields of Fort Hood, Texas (now Fort Cavazos), and Fort Riley, Kansas, all the way to the cold and snowy lands of Fort Drum, New York. They even supported me through a few parachute jumps out of a C-130 aircraft and a handful of helocast jumps out of a Chinook helicopter into the Pacific Ocean—always giving me a sense of purpose and a little fun along the way.

My boots took me to many beautiful places in Europe, where we met a lot of wonderful people. We also went on a short trip to South Korea, which we enjoyed very much. They even had the chance to see North Korea from afar, which was quite interesting.

But they also took me to sad places, where we saw suffering firsthand. They bore witness to the faces of people who had seen their families and friends killed by terrible dictators and religious fanatics for far too long. Some of them, I know, continue to suffer.

In Iraq, my boots stood over the majestic Tigris River, but they also carried me quickly to the nearest bunker when we were under attack. Sometimes, the bunker was too far, so hugging the ground and saying a quick prayer was all the protection we had. They also saw the riches of Saddam Hussein, his family, and his friends—the grand palaces with golden bathrooms and indoor pools. And they saw how the rest of the Iraqi people lived, as we passed by women and children in mud huts on our way south to Kuwait.

In Afghanistan, they saw the beautiful snow-covered mountains that surrounded our U.S. base. I never knew where enemy fire was coming from, but my boots kept me safe and brought me home to be with my beautiful family.

My boots served me well all this time. These days, they don’t see much action—except for the occasional walk across my lawn while I mow it. 

They are at peace now, and for that, we are grateful.

84 thoughts on “My Military Boots”

  10. I have never been one to romanticize the military but, that was beautiful, man. As your father-in-law, I am proud of all you have endured and achieved. Those boots also saw you receive commendations and awards for exemplary service as you rose through the ranks. We always knew you would be in harms way during your deployments, something we never talked about, as perhaps it should be, but it was never so real, so imminent as when I read this piece. Honestly, I was moved, to tears, and greatful those boots brought you home to my daughter, my grandson, to us and to the people whose lives you’ve touched and call you family or friend. Thank you for your service, son.

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  12. These boots have certainly taken you to a bunch of places. Creative how you used your boots as a way of telling the story of travels while you were in the military. And that last line is fantastic. Peace to you and your boots 🌞🙏

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  13. Your boots have not only an interesting story to tell but also a rich one. Worth of a book, I would say! Isn’t it amazing how some of our items have so much to tell about our lives? Your boots tread with you a lot of your personal journey on Earth. They met many places, situations, and people, witnessing the best and worst of life. They can confirm how rich your life has been. Thank you, Edward, for taking us with you around the globe and giving us a glimpse of your life adventures. Wonderful post; very well written as well! Lots of light and blessings your way!

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  14. Those boots have indeed seen a lot, been many places, and took you from where you came from to where you now are! Beautifully told, Edward 🙏 much respect for you and your boots! 🫶 And of course, there’s coffee ☕️ ☕️ 😊

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  15. Edward, thank you for your military service. I come from a military family (dad, Vietnam, also career military) and I never pass by or speak to a veteran without thanking them. I enjoyed this post.

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  19. They must be magic boots! You really did see a lot in those boots. I’ve always wanted to see the Tigris River – the cradle of civilization. They’re retired boots now! May they enjoy their golden years!

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  20. What a truly wonderful post, Edward. I don’t think many of us have footwear that can help tell the story of our life to such an extent. Personal milestones, history, geography, service to country, service to others, service to yourself. Those boots were made for walking, all right! And marching!!! Great job.

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  23. Your boots are treasures of all of the places you walked and witnessed, Edward. It was fun to walk in your shoes for a bit and take us on this journey. I love your writing on this prompt and the dignity you gave them at the end. “They are at peace now, and for that, we are grateful.”
    I wish that for every human alive although, sadly, it will never be for some. 💔

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    1. Thank you so much, Cindy. It’s absolutely sad what is occurring around the world, especially with the war in Ukraine, where so many innocent people have died. It seems like there are some world leaders who can’t live in peace for some reason, and they are always picking fights to satisfy their own egos. I wish these leaders, instead of dragging the whole country into war, would get in a ring one-on-one with someone so they can learn a lesson and get punched in the face a little. Or maybe they just need to go back to school, like you said in your post today.

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  25. Well done, Edward, including the photo. I enjoyed this very much. And thank you for your service.
    “Shoes” are a great writing prompt. Actually, my first ever writing prompt was from my eighth-grade teacher who had the class write stories from the point of view of the shoes of a famous person. Hugs.

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    1. Thank you so much, Teagan, and what an interesting story about your first prompt! Do you remember the famous person you wrote about? I think this is my second time answering a prompt, as they usually don’t attract me much. The first one was about leadership, a subject I love, so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

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    2. This is one of the most important blog posts I have ever seen. I am so honored you stopped by my humble blog. You have dedicated your life to service. I look up to you and honor you. THANK YOU for your service!! 🙏🏽

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