Dog o' Day
Fansided

Military dog memorials to visit this Veteran’s Day

By Wesley Coburn

HARTSDALE, NY - APRIL 30: The War Dog Memorial stands in honor of working military dogs at the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery and Crematory on April 30, 2012 in Hartsdale, New York. The cemetery, established in 1896, is the oldest pet cemetery in the United States and serves as the final resting place for tens of thousands of animals. Pet owners can spend as much as $20,000 for a large plot to bury multiple pets and as little as $300-400 for small plots to bury ashes if they choose cremation. Pet owners also have the option of eventually having their own ashes buried in the plot, alongside their pets. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
HARTSDALE, NY - APRIL 30: The War Dog Memorial stands in honor of working military dogs at the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery and Crematory on April 30, 2012 in Hartsdale, New York. The cemetery, established in 1896, is the oldest pet cemetery in the United States and serves as the final resting place for tens of thousands of animals. Pet owners can spend as much as $20,000 for a large plot to bury multiple pets and as little as $300-400 for small plots to bury ashes if they choose cremation. Pet owners also have the option of eventually having their own ashes buried in the plot, alongside their pets. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

There are many military dog memorials worth visiting this Veteran’s Day.

With Veteran’s Day approaching, if there are military dog memorials in your local area, it might be worth visiting them this year.

The travel site Bring Fido recently brought some of the many military dog memorials to our attention, and we would like to say thank you.

The most common breeds for military dogs are, alphabetically, Belgian Malinois, Dobermans, German Shepherds and Labrador Retrievers.

Military Working Dog Teams National Monument

The Military Working Dog Teams National Monument is located in San Antonio, Texas, on the Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.

The statue depicts a handler and the four most common breeds of military working dogs, and was designed by a veteran and dog handler in John Burnam.

It honors the canines who have died while in the line of service.

Dog owners are allowed to visit the monument with their canine companions as long as they have an appropriate ID (state or government is fine) and a base pass from the East Lake Visitors Center.

War Dog Memorial – New York

There are several War Dog Memorials scattered throughout the US, but this one is part of the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York.

It was erected in 1923 to honor the war dogs of the Great War, as World War I was known then, and features a German Shepherd-type dog keeping watch along with the inscription: “Dedicated to the memory of the war dog. Erected by public contribution by dog lovers, to man’s most faithful friend, for the valiant services rendered in the World War 1914-1918.”

About seven thousand war dogs took part in the conflict under the general title of Red Cross Mercy Dogs, which explains why the statue is wearing a Red Cross blanket.

So long as they’re on a leash, dogs are welcome to visit the property along with their human owners.

Hartsfield is located about an hour northeast of New York City.

SOF K9 Memorial

Located at Fort Bragg near Fayetteville, North Carolina, the SOF K9 Memorial is dedicated to Special Operations canine units, and is part of the US Army Airborne and Special Operations Museum.

It was unveiled in July 2013 and features a life-size Belgian Malinois in full combat gear, and there is an inscription that reads in part, “The bond between a SOF handler & his K9 is eternal. Trusting each other in a nameless language.”

Leashed dogs are allowed near the museum grounds, though only service dogs can go inside.

National Mall – Washington, D.C.

Though no canines’ names are included at either the Korean War Memorial or the Vietnam War Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., there is at least one canine sculpture as part of the display, providing a small reminder of the solemn role they played alongside their human co-soldiers.

From personal experience visiting the site, it is a somber reminder of the sacrifices of military members throughout history.

On a lighter note, Fala the Scottish Terrier is included in the FDR Memorial, also located in DC at 1850 West Basin Dr SW.

The Museum of the Dog in New York City, which contains the archives of the American Kennel Club Library, would be another good place worth visiting to learn more about the history of military dogs such as World War I canine hero Sgt Stubby, who has his own statue.

For reading material while trekking to or from one of the military dog memorials, we recommend Matthew Duffy’s creative nonfiction work Franklin (see our review) and our interview with the book’s subject, dog trainer Jeff Franklin.

Next. A retrospective look at Rin Tin Tin. dark

Military working dogs have also been honored with their own stamps and are sometimes available for adoption, which the webcomic Pixie and Brutus also helps educate the public about.

Home/Travel