RNC 2008: Many Boots No Longer Filled

Photo By John Hoff, September 2

On September 2, on the grounds of the State Capitol, a display of boots shows the war dead from Minnesota and some other Midwestern states. The police officer...

...in the top photo carefully walked the line of boots...he paused to straighten out one of the tags...he took a picture of at least one (but I thought) maybe two sets of the boots. (Note his "Camel Back" water pouch)

Some people just picked a spot and sat on the grass, as though a particular departed soldier was present, standing watch, and one could say, "I will stay here a while and keep you company on your watch."

The boots in the bottom photo represent Jesse M. Lhotka. The boots said "Alexandria, Minnesota" on the tag, but Lhotka also had deep connections to Appleton, Minnesota, where a street was named after him. I didn't know Lhotka. My little brother, however, knew the family.