Inspired by discussion at the June Membership meeting, Cdr. John Scholl and Adj. Dave Dinger visited the War Dog Memorial on Thursday, August 4, 2022. The Cemetery began as a pet cemetery in 1937 and remained so for several decades, finally falling into abandonment and overgrowth of understory thicket. It was rediscovered and re-purposed by a single individual Phil Weitlof, who started a non-profit and it’s re-development as a War Dog Memorial Cemetery.
As we entered the Cemetery, it felt like a National Cemetery with flag poles bearing American flags lining the walkway. Located there is a Memorial Wall honoring the over 4,000 K-9 heroes that served in Vietnam with their names and tattoo numbers inscribed on the black granite wall. Also located there is a large granite monument memorializing the K-9 heroes who have served with the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department. A large bronze sculpture of K-9 Sgt. Sparks, a WWII hero, sits atop a large granite base and many individual memorials to War Dogs, 1st Responder Dogs, Service Dogs and the markers of many pets from years past. The Cemetery is truly a magnificent memorial to “man’s best friend’ and is well worth the visit.
Michigan’s War Dog Memorial & Cemetery is located at 25805 Milford Rd., South Lyon, MI (SW corner of Milford Rd. and Eleven Mile).
Click this link to learn more and see photos of the War Dog Memoral!
Here’s some photos from our visit:
