Recently in Fort MacArthur K-9 Cemetery Category

A week ago today I covered the Memorial Day observance up at Green Hills Cemetery. Among those participating were San Pedro dog trainer Peter Burmeister and his German shepherds.

Pete has been training police and military dogs for many years and I was amazed at how mellow these animals -- who will attack on command -- were around children and other people who wanted to pet them. Pete stood close by supervising, but the dogs, who both weighed nearly 100 pounds each, were as calm as could be.

Also interesting was how attuned they were to Pete's voice and every movement. If he turned away to talk to someone, their eyes were immediately on him, watching his every move.

Those were Pete's dogs also who were featured in Josh's Daily Breeze story from May 23  when the military dog cemetery was rededicated at Fort Mac in San Pedro. Josh told me later that one of the former handlers who attended the ceremony told him the guys would typically spend the first full two days with their dogs reading aloud from the newspaper to them -- to completely acclimate the canines to the sound of their voice.

Do you talk to your dogs very much? I've been trying to talk to mine more (but not in a crazy dog lady way, you understand). I think it does help to make them more attentive to you.  

 

 

Check out Josh's story about the rededication of the military dog cemetery at Fort Mac in San Pedro on Saturday.

At 1 p.m. today (Saturday) there will be a re-dedication of the refurbished military dog cemetery out at the Fort MacArthur Museum in Angels Gate Park, 3601 S. Gaffey St., San Pedro.

Join us on Saturday May 23, 2009 as we re-dedicate the historic Fort MacArthur K9 Command Cemetery at the Fort MacArthur Museum. As many of our supporters are aware, this has been a long anticipated project for the association and has involved many years of planning and hard work. Several speakers will make presentation during re-dedication ceremony including Former K9 Handler Paul Acosta, Museum Director Steve Nelson, and local San Pedro resident Dorothy Matich, who has spearheaded the funding efforts for this project. 

For some of the history, check out this L.A. Times article on the web site.

A story in today's Daily Breeze highlights Dorothy Matich's efforts to restore a military dog cemetery in San Pedro.

The cemetery had fallen into disrepair but earlier attemps to refurbish the landmark never found enough money to make it happen.

So Dorothy, a dog lover who doesn't live far from the former Army base in Angels Gate Park, decided to involve some of her friends in the Red Hat Society and other groups, raising nearly $30,000 in a year.

Steve Nelson, the curator of the Fort MacArthur Museum that includes the K-9 Command Military Dog Cemetery, has been collecting historical information on the dogs that served the fort for several years now.

More funds are still needed to complete cemetery project, which also will include a dog statue being created by San Pedro sculptor Eugene Daub (the original statue in the cemetery was stolen years ago).

If you want to help, you can attend a beer tasting event this coming Saturday (10/18) at The Corner Store, 1118 W. 37th St., San Pedro, with proceeds going to the project (hours are 2-3 p.m. and 3:30-4:30 p.m., cost $10).

Or send donations earmarked "K-9 Cemetery" (checks should be made out to the Fort MacArthur Museum Association) to P.O. Box, 268, San Pedro CA 90731. For information, go to www.ftmac.org; or call 310-548-2631.