The R.T. Weatherman Foundation, together with Cultural Forces, has unveiled the temporary Medlin Boots installation at Kyiv Railway Station, honoring American volunteer Dalton Joseph Medlin, who was killed in Donetsk region in September 2023 while defending Ukraine.
The centerpiece of the installation is Dalton’s actual military boots. Inside them are still two bottles of Coca-Cola that he left behind before heading out on a combat mission.
Among U.S. service members, there is an informal tradition of leaving something inside one’s boots before a mission — something you want to return to after completing the task, as a small promise to yourself that there will be an “after.” Dalton left two bottles of Coke. But he never made it back to them.
The Medlin Boots were previously featured as part of the For Freedom exhibition at the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War. The installation is now temporarily on display at Kyiv Railway Station, near Platform 1.
Dalton’s father, Warren Medlin, traveled from the United States to Kyiv to attend the unveiling.
Dalton Medlin was a U.S. Army veteran. After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he decided to travel to Ukraine and join its defense. He served with Chosen Company in the Armed Forces of Ukraine under the call sign Gimli.
On September 27, 2023, 24-year-old Dalton was fatally wounded while carrying out a reconnaissance mission in Donetsk region. Because his body could not be recovered, he was officially considered missing for an extended period of time. Through the sustained work of the R.T. Weatherman Foundation team, Dalton’s family was able to establish the fact of his death through a Ukrainian court.
“It is an honor for our foundation to support and accompany the families whose sons crossed the border and stood in defense of Ukraine.
Every day, people from around the world step onto this platform to stand in defense of Ukraine. Their courage and devotion to democratic values are a symbol for people everywhere.
Today, the R.T. Weatherman Foundation supports the families of foreign volunteers from more than 35 countries. For each of these families, the war in Ukraine has become part of their own story.
Dalton's story is one of thousands of stories of foreign defenders of Ukraine who came here because they believed that freedom and justice are values worth defending,” said Lauren Guillaume, Director of the R.T. Weatherman Foundation in Ukraine.
The Medlin Boots installation embodies the preservation of the memory of foreign volunteers who came to defend Ukraine. Its location at Kyiv Railway Station carries a particular symbolic meaning: for many foreign service members, Ukrainian railway stations were the first point of arrival on their journey into Ukraine after the full-scale war began.
About Dalton Medlin
Dalton Medlin was a U.S. Army veteran. In July 2022, at the age of 23, he traveled to Ukraine to join the defense of the country against Russian aggression. In Ukraine, Dalton joined Chosen Company, received the call sign Gimli, and later became commander of the company’s 1st Rifle Platoon.
On September 27, 2023, during Ukraine’s counteroffensive, Dalton was carrying out a combat mission in Donetsk region. He was fatally wounded during the operation. Because of the ongoing fighting, his body could not be evacuated, and Dalton was officially considered missing for an extended period of time.
Through the work of the R.T. Weatherman Foundation team, Dalton’s family was able to establish the fact of his death through a Ukrainian court. It was the first case of its kind in which a ruling was issued in favor of the family without the need to go through appeal or cassation proceedings.
Dalton Medlin was 24 years old. He is survived by his parents, a brother, and a sister.
About the R.T. Weatherman Foundation
R.T. Weatherman Foundation is an organization dedicated to supporting Ukrainians and foreign nationals who have joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The Foundation’s work is organized around three core areas — Body, Mind, and Spirit — encompassing humanitarian assistance, preserving the lives of service members on the battlefield, mental health support, and rehabilitation. The Foundation also works to preserve the memory of fallen defenders of Ukraine and supports the families of foreign volunteers in cooperation with Ukrainian institutions and in protecting their rights.
The Foundation’s flagship area of work is the identification of the remains of fallen service members. The program combines forensic expertise and legal practice to establish the identities of those killed or missing in Ukraine.
About Cultural Forces
Cultural Forces is a platform that brings together military personnel working in creative professions, analysts, and volunteers. It develops military culture, strengthens psychological and moral support for service members, advances cultural diplomacy, and contributes to information resistance through cultural tools.
The platform includes projects such as Cultural Landing, Books to the Front, Frontline Studio, 59th Brigade Orchestra, Radio Infantry, and others. Every month, Cultural Forces artists perform approximately 200 shows in frontline areas and deliver around 1,200 books to service members.
Media contact
Daryna Skydan
PR Director of R. T. Weatherman Foundation
+380 63 416 57 56
