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March Field is a legendary Air Force base that has preserved bits of its history in the impressive March Field Museum. It's a fitting backdrop for the West Coast War Dog Memorial, saluting brave American pooches and their handlers.
The black obelisk/column is just past the entryway B-24 bomber. Funded and sponsored by Nature's Recipe Pet Foods, the 16-ft. tall granite and bronze statue depicts a soldier and a German Shepherd. It was sculpted by A. Thomas Schumberg and dedicated on Feb. 21, 2000.
Other somber military monuments and memorials are arrayed around the grounds, but the War Dog Memorial commands the plaza's central vantage. His dog is alert, attuned to an impending jungle ambush, or maybe just a noisy weekend pass latecomer.
A bronze plaque at the base reads:
"They Protected Us On The Field of Battle.
They Watch Over Our Eternal Rest.
We Are Grateful.
The War Dog Memorial Is a Tribute
To All Dog And handler Teams
That Served Our Country So Proudly." |
