National Monument Honors Military Dogs

Oct. 23--An eight-year quest to honor the four-legged guardians of freedom known as military working dogs will come to a culmination Monday in San Antonio.

The new U.S. Military Working Dog Teams National Monument will be dedicated at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, home of the world's largest training center for military and security canines and their handlers.

John Burnam, a former dog handler in the Vietnam War and a technical writer in McLean, Va., who led the $2 million project, said the scout and sentry dogs he worked with in the Army saved him from ambushes and booby traps.

"I give the credit to the animals, and the senses they used to protect me," said Burnam, 66.

Dogs that served in Vietnam were left behind. Today, military dogs are placed for adoption when they retire.

After writing two books on his war experiences, Burnam saw a need for a monument honoring dogs that have protected troops since World War II and honoring their handlers. He began lobbying Congress in 2005 and got authorization in 2009 to design and build the monument through a private foundation. Funding was provided by Maddie's Fund, a pet rescue foundation, Natural Balance Pet Foods, veterans groups, individual donations and charitable events.

The public is invited to attend a dedication ceremony and activities from 1 to 4 p.m. Bus shuttles at Wolff Stadium will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visitors will be screened for security. Seating is available for 500 people.

Lackland spokeswoman Collen McGee said the base, which breeds Belgian Malinois puppies to serve as Defense Department working dogs and trains dog-and-handler teams for the armed services, Transportation Security Administration and law enforcement agencies, is the "career home" for bomb-sniffing and security canines.

"It literally is the birthplace of the DoD working dog program," she said.

The monument, to be unveiled on a corner of the base parade field, near Lackland's East Gate, is situated on a landscaped, 5,000-square-foot plaza. It features 5-foot bronze figures by sculptor Paula Slater of the four breeds that have been used most by U.S. troops -- Malinois, Doberman pinscher, German shepherd and Labrador retriever -- and a 9-foot statue of a handler in uniform. It also has a granite "history wall" with inscriptions and laser-etched photo images, along with a water fountain that replicates a handler pouring water from a canteen into a helmet and trickles into a trough below, where dogs can take a drink.

"I wanted to do something for the animals," Burnam said.

Dogs will not be allowed at the dedication. Burnam said he's working with the base to make the monument accessible to visitors.

shuddleston@express-news.net

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