Humane Society of Warren County hosts second ‘Dogs of War’ memorial at animal shelter May 27: regular Memorial Day ceremony follows at courthouse May 29

Memorial Day weekend in Front Royal will be a busy one, spanning two ceremonies in three days at, first, the Julia Wagner Animal Shelter, 1245 Progress Drive, to salute the military’s war dogs and dogs used widely in local law enforcement (Saturday, noon, May 27), and second, at the downtown courthouse lawn (Monday, noon, May 29), where the fallen of all wars will be saluted for their service. The Monday event will be directed by U.S.Marine Lt./Col. Rob MacDougall.

Memorial Day at the Warren County Courthouse is a local tradition. Royal Examiner File Photos

At the shelter, on a plot developed by a former HSWC president, Malcolm Barr, Sr., this year’s ceremony will be focused not only on the thousands of dogs that served their country in many wars, but on law enforcement’s K-9s that may be seen working our streets and byways along with their handlers almost daily.

Barr, a military reporter in the mid-Pacific during the Vietnam war, stumbled on a military dog cemetery on the Pacific island of Guam in the 1960s, vowing then that it was time to gain more recognition, and a home life, for dogs completing, sometimes disastrously, their overseas duties. His memorial garden at the shelter was completed almost 60 years later while the military was building handsome statues honoring the dogs in various parts of the country, including Guam, and other parts of the world.

Malcolm Barr Sr. and his dog Diva, with Skip and Kathy Rogers at last year’s Courthouse Memorial Day ceremony

Barr said while preparing for this year’s memorial, and announcing the name Steve Herman, visiting chief of the “Voice of America” (VOA) Washington, D.C. Bureau, as this year’s guest speaker at the Saturday ceremony, “I’m grateful to the HSWC for providing a small plot of land (across from the shelter’s main entrance) for our town’s dog memorial, a site noticeable for its life-size statue of a German shepherd “guarding” the site,” Barr said. “Also, I’m grateful to Steve for driving all this way to our small town to help recognize our war dogs and our K-9s at home.” He explained that Herman had become aware of, and intrigued by, our memorial during a recent visit to Warren County.

The local acknowledgement of military and law-enforcement trained canines in Front Royal/Warren County seems appropriate as the first fully trained dogs sent to the World War II battle front in 1942 were trained at a military facility here.

Under Malcolm’s supervision Diva holds down guard duty at the Julia Wagner Shelter War Dog Memorial Garden prior to the arrival of the life-size German Shepherd war dog statue. Below, graphic acknowledging the Marines K-9 service dogs.

Meghan Bowers, Executive Director of the Humane Society of Warren County says, “I’m proud that the shelter can host such an important and eye opening memorial. Dogs have served an important part in our day to day lives as companions and best friends, but we cannot forget the other ways in which they have enriched our lives.”

When complete, the Saturday ceremony will, in addition to Herman, feature a local law enforcement guard of honor; a formal blessing of all service dogs by retired Baptist minister and Front Royal Rotarian, the Rev. Mark Jordon; the honor guard will accompany Front Royal Councilman Skip Rogers, himself a former U.S,. Army dog handler, who will lay a wreath saluting all dogs of war, and domestic K-9s, that have served and/or given their lives for their country, and for the brace of handlers who make up their active duty teams. The wreaths for both ceremonies are donated by Fussell’s Florist, upholding a years-long tradition by the retailer.

Following the 40-minute ceremony, light refreshments will be provided in the shelter’s boardroom, and shelter tours will be offered to those asking.

(From a release by the Humane Society of Warren County.)