The Soldier's Bible; "He is the People."

Sergeant First Class Robert Kowal, United States Army

Some time after I had begun giving The Marine's Bible directly to the marine recruiters, Sergeant Matthew Ocasio and Gunnery Sergeant Charles Baker, I stopped by to leave five Marine's Bibles and the office was closed.  Next door and slightly to the west was the Army Recruiting Office and I asked the sergeant there if I could leave the bibles with them for the marines.  Sergeant Deberry allowed me to leave them for the marines to pick up and I asked him if he knew about The Soldier's Bible and he told me that he had one he had purchased when he enlisted in the army some years before.  I took one of his calling cards and a little later, I delivered The Soldier's Bible with his name, Kirby Deberry,  imprinted on the cover. I did that without asking him because I knew he had one and liked it a lot.  Sergeant First Class Kowal worked with Deberry under the command of Sergeant Ronald Cains.  When I had a chance, I asked Sergreant Kowal if he would like one of the bibles and he said that he would.  Later, I had the chance to ask Sergeant Cains who also said he would, so soon after Deberry had his bible, I bought The Soldier's Bible for both Kowal and Cains, so I had pretty well supplied the office with them.

Sergeant Cains was approaching retirement and asked me one day if I would complete the section where the names were intended for the giver and the recipient.  Cains said, "Years from now, I'll remember that you gave this to me but I won't remember your name, so please print it for me and then sign it."  I completed that for him and now and then someone asks me to do that.  I don't usually because I am in a rush to get the bible to its owner and I don't want to be presumptuous.  I know that the bible is what is important, not who gave it to the recipient because they don't really know me.  A few do, yes, but most might know who I am or something small about me, but that's all.  We connect only through the recruiter or sometimes a parent, relative or friend of the soldier or soldier to be. 

One lady who heard about our giving bibles to the soldiers asked someone and I got word of her request and I bought a bible for her grandson, who was enlisting soon, and I just happened to deliver it when she was in the beauty shop.  She asked me to thank the people who did this service, and one of the women there turned to her and said, "He is the people who do this." 

I know people know and care about our small program.  Some do not say thanks, and notice that I did not say "do not even say thanks."  Some people are stunned or overwhelmed when a stranger does an act of kindness, any act of kindness, and in their hearts they are saying thank you.  It's just hard for them to say thank you and I understand, so I don't worry about it.

About a week ago, a dear friend gave me $50.00 and told me to use it to buy bibles.  Since he, Warrant Officer William "Bill" Quick, was a soldier, it seemed only right to use his generous donation to buy Soldier's Bibles so I bought two.  One went to Sergeant Curtis Hedspeth, a previously enlisted soldier who was rejoining the army.  He was in the office completing some papers when we gave him The Soldier's Bible.  It was a joy to watch him, as he looked at it, saw his name on the cover, rose from his chair and walked around to where I sat, shook my hand profusely and said a sincere thank you.  I was overjoyed that he was so moved by this simple gesture.  It just makes me feel good when one of the soldiers gives me that kind of reward.

As the lady said, "He is the people who do this."

Stephen Joe Payne

Why is it Called Red Boots?

Like anything, our project needed a name.  We at first considered The Marine's Bible Project, but that was rejected because it was too specific and omitted other branches of the service.  But, we also thought that we might have a Marine's and then a Soldier's and perhaps more, but that became too many isolated projects and because there will always be new marines, new soldiers and sailors, we knew that a single project would never be concluded.

I wear Red Boots and so I have acquired that as a nickname and also a trademark of sorts.  Some people with whom I have interaction don't know my name, or they don't remember it, because they are in public and deal with too many people.  But few forget my Red Boots, so after I give my name and hear "Who?" I will say "Red Boots" and I am usually remembered. from that.  I considered naming the project after my son but he was a musician and far from any association with the military.  In fact, his health would have prevented his enlistment had he wanted to enlist.  My son, Stephen William Payne (1967-2003) was diagnosed with Type I (Juvenile) Diabetes at age fourteen so he had acquired the disease when he was thirteen, and it shaped the rest of his life.

Somehow affixing Red Boots to it became natural to me since often the soldiers and marines also knew me as either Red Boots, The Photographer, or in some cases, just "The old guy."  That's alright as many years separate us, the young soldiers and marines from me.  In fact, March 9, 2011 marked the day, fifty years ago that I stood with my right hand raised before a navy captain and took the oath of enlistment.  I did not remember all of the words, only, "I, Stephen Joe Payne, do solemnly..." and at or near the end, "...so help me God."  I heard "Congratulations men, you are now men of the United States Navy."  At the word men, we must have been looking around to see to whom he was talking for we were boys, seventeen in my case, with the eldest of the group of four only nineteen.  There was a lot of distance then too between seventeen and nineteen.  From my vantage point today, seventeen and twenty-nine are almost the same.

Red Boots makes as much sense to me as almost anything I can think of, so Red Boots it is.  I, and we, are not yet a non-profit organization, nor exactly a charity.  We are just one person with a specific mission, and as a friend told me, an evolving mission.  My mission here is to give Military Branch Service Bibles to the enlisted men and women, and officers, of the United States Armed Forces to the best of my ability for as long as I am able, and if it evolves into an organization that continues to do so, then I will feel blessed for having contributed in a small way to something bigger than I am.

Red Boots it is.

Stephen Joe Payne

How the Project Got Started

 Jacob Fuller, Sergeant, United States Marine Corps in the barbershop getting a haircut.

Christmas 2005, the Young Marine
Copyright © 2006 Stephen J. Payne

I wrote that I would tell the story of how the Red Boots' Military Service Branch Bible Project started.  This is the story of the first Marine's Bible purchased and given to a marine.

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Charlotte is a fan of Janet Evanovich who writes the Stephanie Plum detective series and I had learned that Evanovich was going to be in Tulsa, at the Borders Book Store to sign books (and probably sell more). Charlotte was overjoyed but skeptical that she would actually be able to meet the author; too many people, too busy, too much. But I knew it meant a lot to her so I was insistent that she try. I had learned an important lesson from the years that I was single and I phrased it this way: "The girl you don’t ask out isn't going with you anyway."

It was a sure thing that she would not see Janet Evanovich if she didn’t go so, early enough, we loaded up my cameras, lenses, photo lights and all of our Evanovich books (yes, I have some too), and set off for Tulsa. We arrived at Borders very early and yet found many people already waiting, as though they were expecting a rock star. Borders staff had set up a system and when we brought books in that we already owned; the books were labeled with a colored tape and we were assigned to a group. We had to line up then within that group.

This Borders is a two story building and we found ourselves upstairs and far at the back and right next to the section on linguistics which was delightful to me. I love linguistics so I was able to start at the top shelf and work my way slowly down as I pulled out books on the English language, the sounds of the world’s languages, the History of the Spanish Language, morphemes, and the like. I was having a good time.

Fortunately I already had a lot of those books which was keeping me from buying more because I was low on money and, of course, I did have to buy several copies of Janet Evanovich’s newest book; that was unavoidable. As I got to the bottom of the section and I moved to the top shelf next to it, I saw one book that caught my attention, not for me but as a gift for a young man. I did not know him. I had not met him. But I knew that he had just graduated from basic training at Camp Pendleton, California, United States Marine Corps, and was now on his way to sniper school. I didn’t know there was a school for snipers.

The book that I was looking at was The Marine Bible, Holman Christian Standard Bible. It was in a box, leather bound and it was sealed and I couldn’t afford it. Yet, I had to see more of it, so I broke the seal and opened the book. I looked at the early pages and saw the standard beginning, like most bibles, and then I went to the index to see why it was a Marine Bible, what was different about it.. In the back were things that were just strictly Marine Corps: Poems written by great marines past, prayers from chaplains and many things specific to the Marine Corps. I put it carefully back into its cellophane wrapper, then back into the box and then back on the shelf, all the time thinking of the young marine.

He was not only a new marine but a new husband. I wished that I could afford it for him. Our line moved slowly and after a bit, we had Janet Evanovich in sight, sitting at a table surrounded by staff and rule keepers: “No more than four books per person, please stay within your color coded group, have your tag ready with your name and what you want Janet to write, tags sticking out one inch.” We were closer then, just a few more feet and…I went back for the Bible.

I couldn’t afford it but I was going to get it, somehow. It didn’t cost much but I had already made my commitment in other books and expenses and just didn’t have much left over and we had yet to have dinner. I took photographs of Charlotte and Janet Evanovich and I gave Evanovich a copy of a piece that I had written, A Son’s Farewell.

I found some way to buy the Marine's Bible and the next day, I took it to his aunt who got it to him just before he finished Sniper School and was sent to Iraq . Now and then I would get reports on him and his progress. He would call into the shop and he always mentioned the Bible and his aunt would tell me about it. Then he was home from Iraq and Bartlesville, Oklahoma had signs up, "Welcome Home Lance Corporal Jacob Fuller," and he was celebrated. Still, I never got to meet him.

His aunt told me that he was here for Christmas but that he had to work at the Marine Recruiting Office as part of his price for being here. I went there on Thursday, December 29th and another Marine told me that I had just missed him but, try again tomorrow. Friday, I returned and the other young Marine told me that I had just missed him as he had left for lunch, but he had gone to the Subway and I might catch him there.

I walked up to the young man that I knew from a photograph and said, softly “Jacob?” He looked at me, puzzled, his brow furrowed and I asked “Jacob Fuller?” “Yes,” he said, “I am Jacob.”

“I gave you the Marine's Bible.” I told him.

He sat his drink and his sandwich down on the counter, turned to me and he put his hand out to shake my hand and then he stepped forward, put his arms around my shoulder and pulled me to him in a Marine hug, a tear forming in his eye. Something was in my eye too. That made my Christmas 2005.


It also made the beginning of my mission to give these bibles to servicemen and service women.

Stephen Joe Payne

"To a Marine"

When I purchase the bibles, from Living Word in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, they are enclosed inside of a cellophane wrapper inside of a nice cardboard box  The store imprints the cover with someone's name or whatever is wanted, as long as there is enough space.  For example, the Bible I bought for President Barrack Obama did not have adequate room for the "President Barack Obama" so we went with just "President Obama." 

The first time, when the young sales lady offered this, I declined, not because I did not think it was good, but because I did not know the name of the marine to whom the bible was going to be given. But I thought for a moment and then I had it imprinted with "To a Marine." All of them have been so imprinted, if I did not know the marine's name, with the exception of my own Sailor's Bible, which I bought several years ago.  I later asked them to print my name on it and since I bought it from them, they willingly did so. I bought a Sailor's Bible for my friend Jim Mosley and his name is imprinted.

Staff Sergeant Ocasio told me that he had given one of the bibles we had stocked to a new marine recruit who did not have much of a family support system and the young man held it in his hand, paused, looking at it, thankful for someone having given it to him, as though no one had ever given him anything.  He was awed, and thankful, and I was rewarded for I felt my small effort was worthwhile. There are many things to be done in the world and none of us can do all of them; each one of us can do something. It is a choice we make, what we do; it is a gift, what we can do. I am just fortunate that I can do this small thing. It is what I choose to do.

Stephen Joe Payne

We Give Military Branch Service Bibles

This is a photographic image of my calling card for this project.  It is fairly clear with the title of "Red Boots Military Service Branch Bible Project" and the statement of "We give Holman Military Service Branch Bibles to Veterans."  We do not limit it to veterans, and in fact, put the active service personnel ahead of veterans but we don't exclude anyone who served.  The photograph on the card is of a Marine's Bible but they are also available in these versions:  The Soldier's Bible, The Sailor's Bible, The Airman's Bible, and The Coastguardman's Bible."  And, there are versions for The Fireman's and the Policeman's Bible.  I fear some, when they do not have time to talk with me and learn what I am doing, may think I am a bible salesman or pushing a religion.  I am not.  I am interested only in giving these bibles to those active and veteran service women and men who want one. 

I have the Sailor's Bible, with my name on the cover, and inside in the first few pages where there are several places for it, is written my service record, from enlistment, boot camp, Radar "A" School, my service aboard The USS Point Defiance (LSD-31) until my discharge, my graduation from high school, marriage, birth and death records for my son Stephen William Payne (1967-2003) and a few of the missions on which I served.

Let me reiterate, I am not a bible salesman.  I learned about the Marine's Bible quite by accident and then almost the same way, I learned about the other bibles in the series.  I set a goal to give one hundred (100) of the Marine's Bible to marines.  Since then, I have successfully give eighty of them to marines.  I have also given thirty bibles to other servicemen and service women; the bulk of those have been The Soldier's Bible with a few of them The Sailor's Bible, one The Airman's Bible and one The Coastguardman's Bible.

When I know of someone who is active military or a veteran, or a parent of one, I ask if they want a bible, frequently showing my Sailor's Bible to them so that they understand what I am talking about, and I do not talk of religion with them.  If they say, "Yes" then I ask his or her name, and Melvin prints the name on the bible.  For example, Sergeant First Class Robert Kowal has a Soldier's Bible with just his name, "Robert Kowal" on the cover of the bible.  His bible has an army green cover with the Army Seal on it as well.

This monograph is printed on the back of my calling card:

"My project is to give Holman Military Branch bibles to our military and veterans.  I pay for them from my earnings and Social Security income so I can buy them only when I have funds.  I give about 25 bibles a year.  They are the Marine's Bible, The Sailor's Bible, The Soldier's Bible, etc.  I began my project in 2005 and as of January 2011, we have donated 100 military service branch bibles.  Seventy-five of them have been the Marine's Bible."

The statement is true but the number of bibles now given is 110 as of March 25, 2011.

Stephen Joe Payne

Giving Bibles to United States Armed Forces Service People

It is a long story of how I got started with this project, and I'll tell it later in another posting, but for now, I'll just describe the project.  I learned about these bibles, the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB), quite by accident, and I gave the first one to a young marine who was headed for Iraq and combat soon.  I gave him the Marine's Bible, which is seen in this image.  I learned that this bible was offered in versions of The Soldier's Bible, The Sailor's Bible, The Airman's Bible, The Coastguardman's Bible, and of course, The Marine's Bible.  Of course, for a time, I knew only of The Marine's Bible.  The photograph is of my bible and I was not a marine; I was a sailor in the United States Navy so I have a Sailor's Bible with my name on it.  I use this copy of The Marine's Bible for demonstration, and show and tell purposes.  The bible I gave to the young marine went to Iraq with him where he used it in his own readings and in offering prayer services to his fellow marines.  He carried it constantly in his fatigues, in a large pocket, and it returned with him, safely, but with considerable wear, sweat and blood stains, and many worn pages.

That's what we intended it for.

I have since provided him with a second bible with his name on the cover.  This is a tough bible; it has a leather cover with a tab enclosure and an attached leather book mark.  In the back are prayers offered by celebrated military leaders:  General George S. Patton, General Jimmy Stewart (the actor), Captain Eddie Rickenbacker and others.  It contains the oath of enlistment, service prayers and important tools for the serviceman, sailor, soldier, or marine.  The marines I have given it to love it, and they are happy to have it.

I had given one or two to marines I knew and then it struck me to give it to as many as I can.  I dreamed of sending 1,000 Marine's Bibles to the marines in Iraq and I contacted one or two churches, which expressed interest and a small measure of support but then posed the question:  Could we do it?  I contacted the Chaplain's Office in Washington, D.C. and found out how difficult this would be to do.  Mildly daunted but not defeated, I rethought what I was trying to do, what I could do, and I changed my mission.  I set a goal to somehow give 100 of the Marine's Bible to marines.  I went to the local recruiting office, met the recruiter and told him of my goal and soon I was giving these bibles to marines locally.  If I know the name of the marine it is going to, then the name is printed on the front.  If I don't, the then Bible cover simply reads "To a Marine."  I leave it to the recruiters to give the bibles to whom they wish and let them decide how to do it.  I don't know how many of the young marines know where the bible gifts originate; it's not important.  The important thing is that the marine has his own, personalized Marine's Bible.

Stephen Joe Payne