First Annual Dogs of War Memorial Garden event a barking success

A crowd of about 30 participants and spectators gathered at the Humane Society of Warren County’s (HSWC) Julia Wagner Animal Shelter at 1 p.m. on a beautiful late spring afternoon, Sunday, May 29, for the first annual Dogs of War and Law Enforcement K-9 team event at the new Dogs of War Garden of Remembrance on the shelter grounds. Now if you’ve attended previous Memorial Day events over the past decade at either the downtown Front Royal Gazebo-Village Commons area or Warren County Courthouse lawn, you may be thinking “This isn’t the first Memorial Day Dogs of War remembrance here” – and you’re correct.

However, Sunday’s event is the first where traditional Memorial Day ceremonies honoring the sacrifice of American soldiers and the corresponding sacrifice of those soldiers’ four-legged companions on the battlefield has been separated into a Memorial Day weekend “doubleheader” as event organizer Malcolm Barr Sr. described it in our recent preview of the event.

A statue of a German Shepherd sits at the center of the War Dog Garden of Remembrance with a note of dedication. Below, HSWC Executive Director Meghan Bowers introduces event moderator Malcolm Barr Sr. after lauding his work in creating the War Dog Garden on the Wagner Animal Shelter grounds. Royal Examiner Photos by Roger Bianchini – Royal Examiner video by Mike McCool

And it was former HSWC Board President Barr’s initiative to create the War Dog and Law Enforcement K-9 Memorial Garden at the Wagner Shelter grounds that led to the decision to make this a two-pronged Memorial Day weekend celebration. Current HSWC Executive Director Meghan Bowers helped kick off Sunday’s celebration of the wartime and law enforcement partnership between man and his canine companions by noting the year-round presence of the new Garden of Remembrance on the Wagner Shelter grounds. As Barr notes in the above-linked story, the first U.S. dogs trained for combat in World War II were trained at a facility in Front Royal.

Also participating, as they will at Monday’s noon Memorial Day ceremonies in town at the courthouse grounds, were a Color Guard from Randloph-Macon Academy, that was bagpiped into place by Jim Lundt. The R-MA Color Guard included Jacob Collyer, lead cadet, Ryder Perkins, U.S. flag bearer, Audrey Nielson, Virginia State Flag bearer, Trevor Walker, rear guard cadet, along with Matthew Kelley, cadet Special Teams Commander; all under the watchful eye of R-MA Junior ROTC instructor and Senior Master Sgt., U.S. Air Force retired Chris Eddington.

The R-MA Color Guard is bagpiped into position for opening ceremonies, then leave the speakers area to observe the rest of the event at rest.

The Front Royal Police Department K-9 team of Corporal Anthony Clingerman and Boscoe were present representing the law enforcement side of the human-canine partnership celebration.

Keynote speaker was Able Forces Director and past military dog handler Skip Rogers, who gave a broad and emotional description of wartime partnership between man and dog. Michael Williams, who recalled his father’s work with military-trained war dogs, offered an also emotional invocation. Humane Society Director Bowers returned to the podium to lay the memorial wreath at the Remembrance Garden’s center. As event moderator, Barr also acknowledged the help of Doug Meador in setting up the event sound system.

See our remaining still photos of the event below, and Royal Examiner Publisher Mike McCool’s video of the entire ceremony in the video, also below:

As moderator Barr listens, keynote speaker Skip Rogers of veterans assistance group Able Forces gives a stirring perspective on the partnership of man and dog at war. His accounting of a dog named Nemo, credited with saving a U.S. Air base from being overrun during the Vietnam War, was especially moving. Below, a perspective from behind the speaker’s area looking toward the Wagner Animal Shelter.

Following Rogers to the podium, Michael Williams added to the emotions recalling the links between man and dog at war during his invocation.

Meghan Bowers returns to place the Memorial Day weekend wreath in the Garden of Remembrance. Below, moderator Barr with wreath next to the garden’s central figure.

FRPD Cpl. Clingerman and K-9 team member Boscoe during the ceremony. ‘I wonder if that dog in the garden wants to play,’ Boscoe may be thinking.

As the event comes to a close, host Malcolm Barr Sr. with spectators Pablo Gutierrez, and, left to right, Chihuahuas Rico and Leo. Leo looks like he might want to meet that German Shepherd at the center of things too.