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In February of this year the President signed H.R. 4986 the "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008". One of the sections in this bill was Section 2877, the "Establishment of National Military Working Dogs Team Monument on Suitable Military Instillation". In this section the bill's language clearly states that the NWDM, Inc. is the organization representing this effort and tentatively identifies Fort Belvoir, in Virginia as a possible site. The NWDM Board is currently actively persuing contacts with the Secretary of Defense's Office.
The Board of the NWDM has acknowledged the President's signing of this bill by presenting him with a Certificate of Appreciation.
In October 2008 the NWDM passed a major project milestone when Edward Vymazal and Alan H. Driscoll met in the Pentagon with representatives from the Office of the Secretary of the Army concerning the site for the War Dog Monument. Based on this meeting Fort Belvoir in Virginia has been identified as the site for the monument. The monument will compliment the National Museum of the U.S. Army scheduled for construction on this site. In addition, members of the U.S. Army Gifting Program were in attendance and are in correspondence with the project as it progresses.
New Book: Forever Forward
Internationally known author and military dog historian, Michael Lemish, who is the author of War Dogs: A Hstory of Loyalty and Heroism (Ptotmac Books/1966), has written another definitive work entitled Forever Forward which is scheduled for release by Schiffer Publishing in late summer of 2009. Forever Forward features over 200 black and white photographs as is the first in-depth account of K-9 Operations during the Vietnam War.
Michael Lemish's book provides a behind the scenes look at how Allied forces employed dog teams in a variety of different roles, the evolution of the United States military working dog program and the aftermath of Vietnam.
Forever Forward will be available through the National War Dogs Monument, Inc. Web Store upon its release.
The NWDM Board welcomes two new members, CSM Al Hunt (ret) who served as a K-9 handler in 1953 and 54 in Korea and went on to a 40 year career in Army Special Operations and Randy Knight a Vietnam era K-9 handler who is involved in veterans affairs and works for the Bureau of Land Management.
