Bethesda Maryland, April 2, 2024. Amid the buzz of voices in the expansive lobby at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, people embrace in reunion. The space is filled with volunteers, sponsors, active military personnel, former patients, families, and artists coming together.
The founders of iPads For Soldiers have been tirelessly working with military center administration in preparation of the April 2nd dedication of “Footsteps to Freedom,” a permanent installation in the entrance of the nation’s largest military medical center.
In the lobby stands a striking sculpture: a literal and metaphoric testament to the bravery and sacrifice of US soldiers. Custom designed glass cubes framed with brass are stacked in a double-sided staircase ascending upward. Inside of each cube are soldiers’ boots that served as the canvases for artists who variously painted, etched and designed them in thanks and honor to the soldiers for their service. Many signify the challenges these men and women endured.
How it all Started
iPads for Soldiers was co-founded in 2009 by Winnie Pritchett and Amy Zambrano when Winnie’s son Captain Wes Pritchett, a recent West Point graduate and Kiowa helicopter pilot, was deployed to Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Winnie asked what they could do to help support the soldiers. Wes recounted how many of the soldiers had limited access to the internet and cellphones, and how both instruction manuals and books added even more weight to their 110-pound rucksacks. The idea of sending the soldiers a tablet became a lifeline, allowing them to stay connected, informed, and supported, while providing a virtual space to find some entertainment for infrequent downtime during their tours.
The initial distribution of iPads came through chaplaincy departments to active-duty soldiers. With immediate requests for more, it was apparent this small grassroots effort was answering a real need. Ipads for Soldiers quickly modified their model to include the large number of wounded soldiers in medical centers throughout the US. The active duty and recovering soldiers used the devices to record their stories, write their diaries, write letters home, make films, and connect with loved ones.
Narrative Spaces
If you were to imagine a perfect narrative machine, the iPads were it. Light and easy to carry, they functioned as third object transports for the soldiers -- a space filled with emotional support, and the oppotunity to read, to write and to share.
(Part of the collection, bottom left is marked in groups of five the numbers killed, the boots on the right were dipped in gold as an alternative medal in honor of the fallen.)
The Boots
The idea began in 2010 with the objective of collecting used boots from the soldiers who had received an iPad and repurposing them as creative art objects. Boxes started arriving of “boots caked with sand, with holes, and sometimes even spattered with blood. Sometimes there would be a note, a story, even dog tags slipped inside.” The grassroots effort noted at the time that "every boot had a story to tell.” More than 100 artists donated their time and talent to the collection, including Shepard Fairey and Romero Brito, street artists, tattoo artists and art teachers. In 2015 the exhibit first opened to acclaim at Miami’s Art Basel. The installlation featured a open spiral stairway at the center of the gallery surrounded by a floor filled with sand like the lands where the soldiers served. Each step featured the artful boots marching upwards.
These tributes of love and gratitude at Walter Reed are the culmination of a ten-year effort by ipadsforsoldiers.org.
Program Part I
In a packed room LCDR Jessica Hann NC, USN Department of Chief, Warrior & Family Coordination Cell, opened the event. She was followed by CAPT Melissa Austin, MC, USN Director, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and remarks from iPads for Soldiers co-founders Amy Zambrano and Winnie Pritchett.
Building Momentum
Through the years corporate sponsors joined the effort. They too were in attendance for the April 2nd dedication, including Investors Trust, United Capital Markets, and Diageo. Their financial ground-pinning allowed for significant expansion. As of today, iPads For Soldiers continues to deliver tablets and support to those wounded in action and to active-duty forces serving worldwide from Africa, the Middle East, to the Far East. To date they have distributed over 10,500 tablets.
Getting Involved
I first heard about iPads for Soldiers in 2010 through my dearest friend. We were both compelled by their mission. And I joined in, donating, fundraising, and with early visits to Walter Reed.
(Visiting Walter Reed, Key Biscayne fundraiser)
The hospital stays for the wounded varied, lasting anywhere from months to years. The smell and feel of medical facilities are universal and have an ability to trigger many of our deepest moments of grief, pain, and hope. Walking into the soldiers’ rooms, I felt both profound understanding and connection to their stories.
Sacrifice and Courage
These soldiers had encountered everything from burns, amputations, to traumatic brain injuries and more. I felt communion with those who had sacrificed so much and were trying to rebuild and navigate entirely new lives. I too had endured devastating catastrophic wounds during the 9/11 terror attacks. I suffered extensive burns and amputations and spent more than half a year in an ICU and rehabilitation hospital with countless trips back for additional surgeries. It took years of struggle and determination before I was able to resume an approximation of a more normalized life.
Program Part II “In These Boots”
The dedication program continued with a reading — “In These Boots” by MSG Andrew Burge, USA. Burge penned the note on a slip of paper he left tucked into one of his boots during an active tour. His powerful words echoed in the vast space to a hushed audience.
Bringing it Home
The keynote delivered by double amputee and Bronze Star and Purple Heart recipient MSG Cedric King, (Ret.) was a triumphant story of determination. An IED explosion caused the loss of both of King’s legs above the knees and left him with a crippled arm and hand injuries. King had been physically and emotionally devastated by the extent of his wounds when he first arrived at Walter Reed. He was an early recipient of an iPad, and credited the device with turning his life around. The tablet gave him a window into shared stories of others who had encountered double amputations and more. Reading and watching their epic journeys of struggle and recovery radically changed King’s perspective. He is a living example of the power of shared storytelling and the impact it can have on others.
(MSG King (Ret.) flanked by military personal, co-founders Winnie Pritchett and Amy Zambrano among other supporters cutting the opening ribbon)
iPads for Soldiers found success through passionate supporters and creative efforts using two different mediums - the tablet, and repurposing soldiers' boots. They both illustrate the storytelling power found in incidental and artful messengers.
(Me with MSG Cedric King (Ret.), on the left and MSG Andrew Burges USA on the right)
At the core of all narrative practice forms regardless of the delivery mechanism are compelling opportunities for reauthoring tragedy, transformation, and the ability to bring healing and joy to both our own lives and the lives of those around us.
