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Memorial Grove Statue Honors Military Working Dogs
by U.S. Army Dawn Arden
October 9, 2020
A monument honoring Military Working Dogs was dedicated on September 21, 2020
at the U.S. Army Military Police Corps Regimental Memorial Grove.
The 5-foot tall, bronze statue was created by Springfield,
Missouri, sculptor James Hall.
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A
5-foot tall bronze statue created by sculptor James Hall honoring Military Working Dogs was
dedicated on September 21, 2020 following the annual Memorial Tribute as
part of the Military Police Regimental Week. (Image created
by USA Patriotism! from U.S. Army photo by
Dawn Arden)
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Sgt. Maj. Timothy Timmins,
Office of the Provost Marshal General Military Working Dog Program,
said the monument was commissioned by the Military Police Regimental
Association as a way to commemorate the contributions of the working
dog.
“The working dog has been part of the regiment for well
over 50 years,” Timmins said. “They’re a big part of ‘assist,
protect and defend.’”
He called the monument a tremendous way
to honor a small but valuable part of an already small regiment.
“A lot of people say dog handlers are emotional — and there is
some emotion that goes into what we do dealing with a living animal,
but I would say we are a very passionate group,” Timmins said.
“Every day, no matter what, when they go into the kennels that dog
is excited to see them, and there is just something that gets you
excited about that.”
Hall witnessed this firsthand when he
spent an afternoon studying the way the dogs move. He said he was
inspired by the interactions he saw.
“The relationship
between the dog and the handler is something that is unbelievable,”
Hall said. “They didn’t even pay attention to me being there. They
were all about the handler and that special relationship.”
Timmins said he is thankful Hall was able to capture the playful
side of the Military Working Dog.
“I’ve been to more
memorials than I care to count. A lot of them are kind of sad, and
there is a place for that,” he said “But this really, truly captures
the honor, the dignity and the joy of the working dog. When you talk
about assist, protect and defend, I can’t think of a better symbol
of our regiment than our Military Working Dog. He lives to serve. He
serves his handler; he serves his country, and that’s really what
we’re all about.”
The statue dedication followed the annual
Memorial Tribute held in observance of MP Regimental Week marking 79
years of the Military Police Corps. It joins three other statues in
the grove, also created by Hall.
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