King, North Carolina War Dog MemorialLocation: King, NC
Sculptor: Cody McBride Dedicated: 11/11/2013
New War Dog Memorial installed at Veterans Memorial Monument, King, NC New Eagle Scout Cody McBride, from Boy Scout Troop 415, sponsored by the Capella Church in King, NC, decided to make the building and placement of a war dog memorial his qualification project for his Eagle Scout award. Cody began his introductory remarks with the disturbing statistics on the few war dogs that survived the war in Vietnam – 204 out of the 4000 that served in all branches. His mother mentioned that her son Cody first got the project idea from seeing the War Dog Wall (http://www.wardogwall.com/war_dog_wall.htm) at the Charlotte Motor Speedway several years ago. He was affected by the numbers, and became very interested in the history and plight of military dogs. He then decided to acquire the materials and build the War Dog memorial for his Eagle Scout project. He was very creative and resourceful – building a concrete base with materials discounted by Lowes Hardware, purchasing the dog statue from a concrete figure fabricator in Virginia, and receiving the granite memorial completely donated by a quarry in northern North Carolina. He put everything together for a very impressive memorial! Cody told those attending the Veterans Day ceremony about the history of War Dogs going back to the Revolutionary War, about the training of approximately 500 War Dogs per year, primarily at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, and the 120-day training program in scouting, tracking, explosive detection, and sentry duty. He told the audience about the dogs in training wearing cameras and microphones to determine how well they handle combat simulated situations. For a young high school Eagle Scout, he confidently spoke some very powerful words – words that could have come from a more mature soldier. He said, “Dogs have loyalty, dedication, unconditional love, and a heart – something that makes them an invaluable asset to our fighting forces. As a nation we owe our dogs a tremendous debt of gratitude! Their selfless service, loyalty, and sacrifices to our country must never be forgotten!” Cody finished his short explanatory talk with a poem which he recited to those assembled. The Soldier Dog VDHA Vice President Perry Money arranged in advance, to prepare a Certificate of Appreciation from the Vietnam Dog Handler Association. Perry said "I was honored to present this certificate to Eagle Scout Cody McBride. I also invited him to attend my Spring Party Barbeque next May - and hope to see this dedicated young man and his parents at the event. He has the right heart for War Dogs!" |
