Military Working Dog Teams

The Military Working Dog Teams National Monument is a U.S. National Monument located at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.

Airman Heritage Foundation

In the center of a spacious plaza, a 9-foot modern day Military Working Dog Handler stands with larger-than-life bronze statues of four of the more co...

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The Military Working Dog Teams National Monument, JBSA - Lackland AFB, TEXAS. 5.1K likes. This is the official site of the Military Working Dog Teams...

Through out the history of the United States Military, there have been many acknowledged and justified heroes. As time passes, the species in which these heroes present themselves has taken a whole new form. Recently, the use of the Military service dogs has increased along with the recognition of the sacrifice made by them. Today, the "Military Working Dog Teams National Monument" located on Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas honors those soldiers and their K9 companions that have selflessly served the United States military in both combat and non combat capacities. The monument was designed and constructed by the "John C. Burnam foundation.

“Paula, Thank you for meticulously sculpting all five of the huge National Monument bronze sculptures and as the final component to the design, thank you for sculpting the Not Forgotten Fountain in masterful detail.

The U.S. Working Dog Teams National Monument will honor every dog that has served in combat since World War II.

dogtime

The United States' first national monument to a soldier's best friend, recognizing the sacrifices of dogs in combat, was dedicated by the U.S. military on Monday.

The first national monument dedicated to U.S. Military Working Dog teams was unveiled in a ceremony here Monday.The dedication and unveiling ceremony completes a quest to nationally recognize military working dogs and handlers started in 2001 by John,

From The Editor's Desk:The first national monument ever to pay tribute to dogs and that honors every dog who has served in combat since World War II to be dedicated at Joint Base San Antonio – Lackland, TX on Monday October 28, 2013 The John Burnam Monument Foundation announced that that the U.S. Military Working Dog Teams National Monument, America’s newest national monument, will be formally dedicated and added to the inventory of the United States of America’s national treasures, at a special ceremony on October 28, 2013. The dedication ceremony, which is open to the public, will be held at Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) – Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. JBSA – Lackland is home to the Department of Defense Military Working Dog (MWD) Program and is where the U.S. Armed Forces has been training its military working dog teams since 1958. It is the world's largest training center for military dogs and handlers and is also home to the largest veterinary hospital for military working dogs. The founder and inspiration for the national monument is John C. Burnam, a highly decorated Vietnam infantry Veteran Scout Dog Handler and author of “Dog Tags of Courage” and “A Soldier’s Best Friend.” “As a Scout Dog handler in Vietnam I experienced firsthand how valuable these dogs are at saving soldiers’ lives,” said Burnam. “Yet, despite their value, when we pulled out of Vietnam the dogs were left behind. They were fellow soldiers and they were our best friends. They were heroes and they were left to die. So I was determined to get the dogs, of all wars, recognized at the highest level of our nation’s government and then build them a magnificent national monument to ensure they would never be forgotten again.” The U.S. Military Working Dog Teams National Monument’s main granite pedestal features the U.S. military’s four prominent working dog breeds since WWII (Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever and Belgian Malinois). The nine foot tall bronze dog handler represents all dog handlers of all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces that served during World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, the Gulf War and the War on Terror. Another significant design feature is the “Not Forgotten Fountain” – a fully functional bronze dog and handler water fountain that epitomizes the bond between dog and handler. The larger than life, “hero-sized”, bronze handler and dogs, tell the stories of the unbreakable bond between America’s war dogs and their handlers, and the courage to protect and serve. All seven of the bronze sculptures that make up the U.S. Military Working Dog Teams National Monument were meticulously sculpted by internationally recognized sculptor, Paula Slater (www.PaulaSlater.com). The U.S. Military Working Dog Teams National Monument was funded through the generosity of corporate sponsors (Maddie's Fund www.MaddiesFund.org, Natural Balance Pet Foods www.NaturalBalanceInc.com, Petco www.petco.com), veterans groups, dog groups, donations made by individuals, and funds raised through charitable events. A number of local, state, federal and military officials will be in attendance for this historical occasion, as well …

This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article: Military Working Dog Teams National Monument 00:01:08 1 Monument 00:03:10 2 History 00:05:20 3 Design 00:0...