Memorial Day weekend ‘double header’ honors the dogs of war and local police K-9s day before downtown Memorial Day ceremonies

Memorial Day weekend in Front Royal will feature separate ceremonies this year honoring the dead of all wars at the Warren County Courthouse grounds on East Main Street and the dogs of war that protected American servicemen and women in those conflicts, as well as local law enforcement K-9 teams, at a newly installed “Garden of Remembrance” at the Julia Wagner Animal Shelter at 1245 Progress Drive in the Happy Creek Commercial Park off Shenandoah Shores Road.

The K-9 ceremony is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday, May 29, and the downtown tribute to the fallen will begin at noon on Monday, May 30, on the courthouse lawn.

The twin tribute to the military working dogs (MWDs) and those K-9s on duty with local law enforcement is likely a first for the Shenandoah Valley. Front Royal re-established its downtown Memorial Day ceremony a decade or more ago, with veterans Robert MacDougall (U.S. Marine Corps) and Malcolm Barr Sr. (Royal Air Force – UK) taking the helm and attracting crowds up to 300 for the annual salute, including to America’s war dogs, at the Gazebo.

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 at that time to gain more recognition and home life after completing their missions for the military dogs.

Barr is a past president of the Humane Society of Warren County (HSWC) and said: “I always thought it appropriate for the dogs to have their own memorial, particularly when we came to Warren County to live in retirement 20 years ago and found that the first K-9s of World War II were trained in Front Royal in 1942. I am grateful to the HSWC, which last year provided a small parcel of land at the shelter upon which, last year, we had constructed a “garden of remembrance” to last in perpetuity, a site upon which to honor the dogs for their service.”

The former RAF NCO thereupon provided the funding for the development of a garden carved from the shelter grounds last fall and the installation of a life-sized German Shepherd statue, which arrived at the site, appropriately, on Nov. 11, 2021.

No, Malcolm does not have the currently placed Remembrance Garden dog statue leashed – that is his Husky Diva posing at the pending location of the statue even though she’s not a German Shepherd

Meghan Bowers, HSWC executive director, said at the time: “I just love to have such an important memorial to the bravery, companionship, and accomplishment of dogs here at the shelter. There is nothing as special as the dedication and love of a dog (or cat), and we are so proud to have such a beautiful reminder to see every day.” Wreaths provided by Fussell Florist will be laid at both locations.

At Monday’s Memorial Day Ceremony, Front Royal will pay tribute to our nation’s fallen service members from noon to 1:00 pm on the front lawn of the Warren County Courthouse. Front Royal Memorial Day co-chair, Marine Reserve Lt. Col. Robert MacDougall noted, “This solemn ceremony each year is an opportunity for our local community to pause, reflect and take stock in the tremendous sacrifice that has been made by our fallen service members and their families to maintain our nation’s freedom.”

Memorial Day Co-Chair and Marine Reserve Lt. Col. Robert MacDougall with R-MA Cadet Honor Guard at last year’s Memorial Day ceremonies at the courthouse

The ceremony will include a flag detail comprised of cadets from Randolph-Macon Academy, remarks from the Commemoration chairs and guest of honor, and a tribute to service members from Front Royal/Warren County that have made the ultimate sacrifice in service of the United States. All residents are encouraged to attend as a way of honoring the meaning behind the nation’s annual Memorial Day tribute.

The American Legion Community Band will be holding a concert at the Town Commons-Gazebo at 7:00 pm.