SOF K9 Memorial
Airborne and Special Operations Museum in Fayetteville, NC
FAYETTEVILLE,
N.C. – At 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 27, the Special Operations Forces
(SOF) K-9 Memorial Foundation hosted a statue unveiling and celebration at
the Airborne and Special Operations Museum to memorialize the bravery and
dedication of the special operations K-9 Soldier.
The
memorial is a life-sized, bronze statue of a Belgian Malinois dressed in full
combat gear. The Belgian Malinois is smart, like the German shepherd, but has
shorter hair and handles heat better.
This
is the only memorial specifically dedicated to special operations K-9s in
the world. Surrounding the statue are 58 paver stones listing the names of the
dogs that were Killed In Action (KIA).
“Like their human counter-parts,
special operations Multi Purpose Canines (MPC) are specially selected, trained
and equipped to serve in roles not expected of the traditional Military Working
Dog (MWD),” said Chuck Yerry, President of the SOF K-9 Memorial
Foundation. “Truly daring and brave, these dogs often lead their Soldier
team-members in the most dire conditions to save lives and complete the
mission.”
“The memorial foundation saw a need, and what better
place than here with history, heroes and hometown feelings,” said Paul
Galloway, Executive Director of the Airborne & Special Operations Museum
Foundation. “They’ve lost their lives in combat. It’s a big deal. They
need to be honored.”
Eagle
Scout candidate Harrison Burkart, a Boy Scout from Troop 745, was instrumental
in raising funds needed for the memorial, designing, and installing the landscaping.
The memorial is on the Parade Field with paver stones created
from North Carolina granite. Each stone bears the name, country of origin, and
year a special operations dog was killed.
The SOF webpage is at this link: sofk9memorial.org
The video link to watch Lena Toritch – Master Sculptor, creating the SOF K9 Statue is: http://vimeo.com/70501290
The link to the Dedication Ceremony (45 min.) is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTZzhFb214Y
The link to Lena Toritch’s website is: http://www.veteransmemorialstatues.com/
Thanks
for your support,
Airborne & Special Operations Museum Foundation
Lena Toritch – Master Sculptor
Creating SOF K9 Statue
Watch the Video of Lena Toritch creating the SOF K9 Statue.
Link listed below.
Monica and Jesse Mendez at the Dedication of the SOF K-9 Memorial 27 July, 2013.
The memorial is on the Parade Field with paver stones created from North Carolina granite.
Each stone bears the name, country of origin and year a special operations dog was killed.
