Former Dog Trainer Founds Military Working Dog Memorial
U.S. dogs do more for their country’s citizens than they will ever know. The United States Armed Forces has trained canines to serve as working dogs since World War I to assist those fighting in the most dangerous situations. As a result, numerous dogs have died while serving and protecting the U.S.
Retired U.S. Army Master Sergeant John C. Burnam of Bethseda, Maryland, has founded the John Burnam Monument Foundation in honor of canine service animals. Burnam, a service dog trainer during the Vietnam War, has collaborated with the United States War Dog Association and received permission from Congress to build and maintain a monument to remember the United States Armed Forces Working Dog Teams, which include the dogs and their trainers.
According to the foundation website, the monument will be built on 90 acres of land set aside for the construction of the U.S. Army National Museum, about 30 minutes from the U.S. Capitol. It will feature a statue of a dog handler with four different dog breeds used in the Armed Forces: a Doberman pinscher, German shepherd, Labrador retriever and a Malinois. Dogs will be welcome at the monument, the website states.
“Those of us who have been fortunate enough to be a military working dog handler know that the bond with their dog is not temporary, it’s lifelong,” says event coordinator Larry P. Chilcoat.
[photo: U.S. Army]
Tags: dog memorial, military dog, military honors, united states war dog association
