Vietnam/War Dogs Memorial & FurFright's Donation
Monday November 30th: It was gray and rainy as we arrived at the Vietnam Memorial in New Jersey, where we met up with four Vietnam Dog Handlers who are directors of The United States War Dog Association (the group FurFright is working for/with). All were kind enough to take the day off work and drive (in some cases up to an hour) to meet with us. They gave us a tour of the Memorial-a stunning structure built to honor every soldier from New Jersey who gave their lives during the Vietnam War. It’s a raised, circular coliseum-like structure lined with 366 black granite slabs (one for every day of the year, including leap year). Each piece of granite is etched with the names of the soldiers who died on that day. The names on the wall include 12 dog handlers. Beside the entrance is the War Dogs Memorial-a statue of a German Shepherd standing tall and signaling an alert as his handler crouches beside him, his arm curled around the dogs back. Before we arrived one of the Dog Handlers had placed a dog biscuit at the team's feet. When I saw it . . . it was all I could do not to break down.
I’m not even going to try and explain the emotions these memorials evoked. It was powerful, humbling, sad . . . and yet there was a sense of hope that some good people are working to right the crimes of the past so the soldiers who served and gave their lives can be properly honored and remembered.
The guys from the USWDA are the nicest folks you could ever hope to meet, and we talked about their dogs (past and present), what it was like to serve, and how they’re working to honor the War Dogs and their handlers. They loved the War Dogs t-shirts, decals, and dog tags we gave them, and were absolutely floored when we presented them with the check (they had no idea our FurFright Family would raise so much). K'gra and I told them how the plight of the War Dogs had profoundly touched our community, and they were genuinely moved at how you had all rallied to aid their fellow soldiers. Please, don't ever doubt how vital your donations are. If you could have seen these veterans' faces you'd know that your generosity has made a difference. We spend the afternoon together, and they could not have been more kind. We learned a LOT about the work being done for the War Dogs, and we’ll be posting some exciting news in the days to come.
A big thanks to Ron, Bucky, Bobby, and Al for hosting us.
After we said our goodbyes the Princess and I headed back to the Memorial so I could take some photos. The weather was grey, cold, and rainy . . . but it somehow seemed fitting. We were the only ones there, and I lost myself in the moment as I tried to capture what I was seeing and feeling.
I urge everyone who's able to visit these Memorials so we might learn about and honor the men, woman, and animals who gave thier lives.
Thank you all for helping us honor the War Dogs and support The American War Dogs Association.
And thank you for allowing me to share my thoughts, words, and pictures.
Peace,
Belic Bear
I’m not even going to try and explain the emotions these memorials evoked. It was powerful, humbling, sad . . . and yet there was a sense of hope that some good people are working to right the crimes of the past so the soldiers who served and gave their lives can be properly honored and remembered.
The guys from the USWDA are the nicest folks you could ever hope to meet, and we talked about their dogs (past and present), what it was like to serve, and how they’re working to honor the War Dogs and their handlers. They loved the War Dogs t-shirts, decals, and dog tags we gave them, and were absolutely floored when we presented them with the check (they had no idea our FurFright Family would raise so much). K'gra and I told them how the plight of the War Dogs had profoundly touched our community, and they were genuinely moved at how you had all rallied to aid their fellow soldiers. Please, don't ever doubt how vital your donations are. If you could have seen these veterans' faces you'd know that your generosity has made a difference. We spend the afternoon together, and they could not have been more kind. We learned a LOT about the work being done for the War Dogs, and we’ll be posting some exciting news in the days to come.
A big thanks to Ron, Bucky, Bobby, and Al for hosting us.
After we said our goodbyes the Princess and I headed back to the Memorial so I could take some photos. The weather was grey, cold, and rainy . . . but it somehow seemed fitting. We were the only ones there, and I lost myself in the moment as I tried to capture what I was seeing and feeling.
I urge everyone who's able to visit these Memorials so we might learn about and honor the men, woman, and animals who gave thier lives.
Thank you all for helping us honor the War Dogs and support The American War Dogs Association.
And thank you for allowing me to share my thoughts, words, and pictures.
Peace,
Belic Bear