New memorial to dogs that served in Vietnam celebrates The Unbreakable Bond'

Whenever Ed Reeves has looked at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., he has focused on the panels containing the names of those who died on Sept. 12, 1970, and Feb. 14, 1971.

It was on those days, Reeves said, that were it not for his dog, Prince, “My name would be on that wall.”

Instead, nearly 50 years later, the Grove City resident visited a different wall Saturday at Motts Military Museum in Groveport, a southwest suburb of Columbus, for the dedication of the Vietnam War Dog Team Memorial.

Its three black granite panels are inscribed with the names of 4,244 dogs that served during the war, as well as the numbers that were tattooed inside each of their ears. Also listed are the 297 dog handlers, one veterinarian and two vet technicians who died in Vietnam.

The panels surround a life-sized bronze sculpture modeled after Prince and Reeves, who was among the approximately 10,000 men who served as dog handlers in Vietnam.

Inscribed on the center panel of the memorial are the words, “The Unbreakable Bond.”

https://www.ohio.com/news/20190929/new-memorial-to-dogs-that-served-in-vietnam-celebrates-the-unbreakable-bond