11/12/2022
♥️♥️♥️
When a military dog dies, he or she is honored by the entire squad. In a symbolic gesture, the dog’s feeding bowls are placed upside down, his or her harness and collar hung up to symbolize that s/he won’t be needing them anymore. If the memorial is at a kennel, the dog’s kennel door is left open indicating that the dog won’t be coming home. The poem, Guardians Of The Night (author unknown) is read, and these toughest of men and women – soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines – struggle to maintain composure.
Trust in me my friend for I am
your comrade. I will protect you
with my last breath When all
others have left you And the
loneliness of the night closes
in, I will be at your side.
Together we will conquer all
obstacles, And search out
those who might wish harm to
others. All I ask of you is
compassion, The caring touch
of your hands. It is for you that I
will unselfishly give my life And
spend my nights unrested.
Although our days together
May be marked by the passing
of the seasons Know that each
day at your side is my reward.
My days are measured by The
coming and going of your
footsteps. I anticipate them at
every opening of the door. You
are the voice of caring when I
am ill. The voice of authority
when I’ve done wrong.
Do not chastise me unduly For
I am your right arm, The sword
at your side. I attempt to do
only what you bid of me. I seek
only to please you and remain
in your favor.
Together you and I shall
experience A bond only others
like us will understand When
outsiders see us together Their
envy will be measured by their
disdain.
I will quietly listen to you And
pass no judgment, Nor will your
spoken words be repeated I will
remain ever silent, Ever vigilant,
ever loyal. And when our time
together is done And you move
on in the world Remember me
with kind thoughts and tales,
For a time we were unbeatable,
Nothing passed among us
undetected.
If we should meet again on
another street I will gladly take
up your fight, I am a Police
Working Dog and together We
are guardians of the night.
We admire our military and thank each of its service men and women for their service. We are in awe of their military war dogs,
most of whom are German Shepherd Dogs, Belgian Malinois and Dutch Shepherds, but over the history of military dogs, Labrador Retrievers, Doberman Pinschers, Giant Schnauzers, Alaskan Malamutes, Siberian Huskies, Airedale Terriers, Boxers, Bulldogs, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, Bouviers – even Beagles and Jack Russell Terriers have been put into service.
Photo found on Pinterest and it’s believed that credit goes to Emily Pieracci
