Honoring the fallen: Memorial Day tribute to fallen service members
May 26, 2025, 9:05 AM
OGDEN — As Americans gather over Memorial Day weekend to honor service members who made the ultimate sacrifice, a solemn and powerful tribute in Ogden is helping to keep their stories alive.
Inside Ogden’s historic Union Station, nearly 400 pairs of military boots line the floor — each representing a fallen U.S. service member from Utah who died while serving since 9/11. The display is part of “Operation Hero,” a nonprofit initiative created to honor the fallen service members and their families, to offer a space for reflection and remembrance.
“It is emotional as we remember our loved ones,” said Antionette Stapley, founder of Operation Hero.
Her husband, U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Tracy Stapley died during a deployment to Qatar on July 3, 2013. For her, and many others, Memorial Day is not just a holiday — it’s deeply personal.
Among the volunteers is Grant Livaudais, whose father, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Nino Livaudais, an Army Ranger, was killed in a car-bomb suicide attack in Iraq on April 3, 2003 — just months before he was born.
Boot commemorates U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Nino Livaudais, an Army Ranger who was killed in a car-bomb suicide attack in Iraq on April 3, 2003. (Nathaniel Gillis, KSL TV)
“I think that’s hard for people to understand sometimes,” Livaudais said. “But for me, it has completely shaped who I am.”
Grant Livaudais hopes that those who walk through the display will gain an appreciation for Memorial Day’s significance as a time of remembrance and reflection.
“Freedom isn’t free,” Livaudais said. “For me, Memorial Day isn’t a happy time. If I weren’t here, I would be at the cemetery or Arlington if I couldn’t get there.”
The four-day event is open to the public and includes more than just the boot display.
Visitors can participate in a silent auction, opportunity drawings, and a flag retirement ceremony. On Sunday, stories from veterans and survivors will be shared, and on Memorial Day itself, a National Moment of Remembrance is scheduled for 3 p.m.
For those unable to attend in person, Stapley encouraged taking a moment to learn about the meaning of Memorial Day or to connect with a veteran in their community.
