Honoring fallen K-9's

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Janine Thibault
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE, Alaska --  Servicemembers assigned to the 354th Civil Engineer Squadron and Security Forces Squadron worked together to provide maintenance to the Military Working Dog Memorial site on Eielson Air Force Base July 22, 2010.

Military working dogs are not merely a tool to guarantee the safety of those on base, they are key members of the Security Forces team that have given an immeasurable sacrifice to Eielson.

The Military Working Dog Memorial site is located next to Lady of the Lake, off Transmitter Road, in an area rarely visited by visitors.

Lack of documentation about the history of the memorial site makes it difficult to determine its origins, but that didn't matter to the Airmen who were working to honor the memory of Eielson's four-legged Airmen.

"This memorial is no less valuable than the Arlington National Cemetery," said Tech. Sgt. Matthew Kennon, 354th CES service contracts quality assurance evaluator. "It serves as a history of what the K-9's have done during their service. There may not have been any documentation of what is actually buried so it may be kind of unknown but still the history of the base is still important and I hate to see it neglected."

Before the site was cleaned, it had been overgrown with small trees and shrubs that crowded the area and had been the victim of vandalism. However, with teamwork, the clean-up was completed within an hour.

According to Sergeant Kennon the project began as a plan that he and a former Eielson resident had considered.

"My neighbor was prior K-9, so he found out about the memorial and we came to visit," he said. "He got a little emotional when he saw the state it was in because the trainers have a strong bond with their animals. After he made a permanent change of station it was something I did not forget, so I wanted to make sure I got the opportunity to make a difference. Hopefully people would take care of it."

The current location makes it hard for people to access, so SFS is working to move the site to Heritage Park, where fallen canines can get the recognition they deserve and visitors can see the site any time of the year.

"We are trying to rectify the situation by giving it the attention it needs to keep it nice for visitors," said Staff Sgt. Joshua Lewis, 354th SFS K-9 trainer. "Heritage Park is about Eielson's Heritage and the military dogs are just as much a part of it."

The current memorial site is dedicated to military working dogs that have performed valiantly at Eielson over the years. The recent efforts of local Airmen ensure that proper respect is shown to their memories and gratitude for their loyal service.