Thousands of combat boots lined the field at Hedrick Stadium on Friday morning, each one representing a service member lost in combat since Sept. 11, 2001. The solemn display, now in its 14th year, stands as a powerful tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
For the first time since joining the Army, Sgt. Brady Callahan placed a boot on the field that carried deep personal meaning.
“He’s probably my biggest inspiration for being here,” Callahan said, reflecting on his father, Sgt. 1st Class Keith Callahan, who died in Iraq in 2007 when Brady was just 4 years old. “In 2007, he was in Iraq, and he was killed by an IED, an improvised explosive device. Uh, that’s pretty much as much as my family was told about it.”…