"SteveLehto" (stevelehto)
08/26/2015 at 10:05 • Filed to: None
67
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"SteveLehto" (stevelehto)
08/26/2015 at 10:05 • Filed to: None | 67
| 35 |
A few years ago I was driving around during the winter time and I noticed something unusual in the woods not far from my house: an abandoned cemetery. I hopped a fence and was surprised to see that it was a pet cemetery. Recently, I found that the cemetery has been cleaned up and made accessible.
The cemetery was founded in the 1930s for pet burials but somewhere shortly after WWII someone thought it would be fitting to put up a memorial to dogs who had served the country. When I first saw the cemetery, the huge monument with the dog on top was almost impossible to reach because of the brush which had grown up around it.
A veteran of two campaigns was buried at the base of this huge marker. USMC SGT Sparks served at two of the ugliest battles our forces saw in that war.
In the mid-1980s, the cemetery had fallen into disuse and became overgrown which is how I found it in the late 1990s. I heard recently that the cemetery had been cleaned up so I took a detour over for a look the last time I was in that part of town.
And I’m glad I did. Volunteers have made the cemetery spotless and they have even begun using it again for services. The Michigan War Dog Memorial is now the official resting place of many of the country’s bravest K-9s and even law enforcement and rescue dogs make this their final resting place. SGT Sparks has been joined by veteran K-9s who saw duty in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait and anywhere else our armed forces have needed them.
I got out and walked around. It was a far cry from when I had seen it over ten years ago, all covered with underbrush. And with the additional markers for the war heroes buried here, it was a solemn and moving experience. Visit the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! if you love dogs. And if you are ever in the southwest corner of Oakland County, Michigan, visit. It is well worth it.
[Astoundingly, I started writing this yesteday, unaware that today is
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. So, I will now go and see what Milo and Wolfy want to do on their special day.]
Follow me on Twitter: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!
Hear my podcast on iTunes: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!
Steve Lehto has been practicing law for 23 years, almost exclusively in consumer protection and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! He wrote !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .
This website may supply general information about the law but it is for informational purposes only. This does not create an attorney-client relationship and is not meant to constitute legal advice, so the good news is we’re not billing you by the hour for reading this. The bad news is that you shouldn’t act upon any of the information without consulting a qualified professional attorney who will, probably, bill you by the hour.
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> SteveLehto
08/26/2015 at 10:13 |
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This is good stuff. Thanks for sharing.
My citroen won't start
> SteveLehto
08/26/2015 at 10:14 |
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There is something to be said about a living creature that goes to war without ideology or motive. That is quite moving.
Scary__goongala!
> SteveLehto
08/26/2015 at 10:28 |
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Cool stuff, thanks for sharing man
dustynnguyendood
> SteveLehto
08/26/2015 at 10:40 |
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Steve, you are one well-rounded human. I’d love to meet you someday (definitely not on the opposite side of a courtroom however).
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SteveLehto
> dustynnguyendood
08/26/2015 at 10:42 |
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Thanks. Likewise!
negativezero89
> SteveLehto
08/26/2015 at 11:50 |
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[Astoundingly, I started writing this yesteday, unaware that today is National Dog Day . So, I will now go and see what Milo and Wolfy want to do on their special day.]
Uhh, you seem to have forgotten to link to the picture of Milo and Wolfy...
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SteveLehto
> negativezero89
08/26/2015 at 11:52 |
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Kinja won’t let me post pics now. I’ll post it a little later.
Brent
> SteveLehto
08/26/2015 at 11:55 |
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Thank you for sharing. Moving stuff. Makes me more appreciative of mans best friend and makes me think of all of the handlers and other service members that served with them bravely. We’re lucky to have people in this country that join the military and go to war to protect for the rest of us. Thank you all.
Kenneth Lee
> SteveLehto
08/26/2015 at 12:12 |
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Who’s cutting onions in here.....
joethedrummer
> SteveLehto
08/26/2015 at 12:22 |
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Thanks so much for this article. Now, what’s in my eye...
Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz)
> SteveLehto
08/26/2015 at 12:30 |
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This. I like this a lot. Thanks for sharing it.
R.S.D.
> SteveLehto
08/26/2015 at 12:37 |
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If you want to adopt a retired Military Working Dog, the 341st Training Squadron at Lackland AFB runs the adoption program for the Department of Defense. They also run a Puppy Program that lets local families raise puppies before they are trained for duty.
More information here:
http://www.37trw.af.mil/units/37traini…
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SteveLehto
> R.S.D.
08/26/2015 at 12:44 |
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Very cool. Thanks!
Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
> SteveLehto
08/26/2015 at 13:00 |
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Great read. I had no idea that something like this exists. And in my opinion there should be one in every state for those service animals who lose their life in the line of duty.
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Dblock55
> SteveLehto
08/26/2015 at 13:04 |
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Haha I live right there!!!! Local cub/boy scout troops hold ceremonies on the weekends there quite often.
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SteveLehto
> Dblock55
08/26/2015 at 13:07 |
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Did you live there before it was cleaned up? I even contacted local newspapers trying to get someone to pay attention to it. But since it was a pet cemetery, no one could figure out who to get a hold of.
newton
> SteveLehto
08/26/2015 at 13:07 |
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Saw the film Max a few days ago. PG film. Woman inside the theater was bawling at the end.
tr6rtiger
> SteveLehto
08/26/2015 at 13:09 |
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OK, who’s cutting up onions?
prettybored
> SteveLehto
08/26/2015 at 13:31 |
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An abandoned cemetery? Is that possible?
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SteveLehto
> prettybored
08/26/2015 at 13:33 |
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Yes. Since it was not for people, I assume they did not have to do any of the things they might have had to do otherwise.
That Guy
> SteveLehto
08/26/2015 at 13:43 |
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http://patch.com/michigan/gross…
Interesting link about SGT Sparks - He was poisoned by someone when he got back home from the service.
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SteveLehto
> That Guy
08/26/2015 at 13:45 |
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Wow.
Xedicon
> My citroen won't start
08/26/2015 at 14:10 |
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They also do it willingly despite not having a choice in the matter.
No one could live their life as well as a good dog, it is simply astounding how beautiful they are.
WOT is Love
> SteveLehto
08/26/2015 at 14:15 |
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Very interesting read. I’ve never really considered the need for a place like that but it’s nice to know they exist and someone is willing to take care of it.
I stumbled upon an overgrown cemetery from the late 1800’s many years ago. It turned out that it was a baby cemetery and a group of friends decided to try to clean it up. We pulled weeds, cut down small trees, raked leaves, etc. We got it looking much nicer but it was very unnerving working there. The entire crew repeatedly heard faint sounds of babies crying. It was so creepy that we never returned and I’m sure it’s gone back to nature since then.
BansheeNorn
> Kenneth Lee
08/26/2015 at 14:44 |
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we gotta find out quick who’s chopping tons of onions here.
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SteveLehto
> negativezero89
08/26/2015 at 15:14 |
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It wouldn’t let me post this earlier. Wolfy on the left, Milo on the right.
shitheelandtoe
> prettybored
08/26/2015 at 15:14 |
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Yes, even for human cemeteries. I lived in a small southern town for a while in the 80s. Back when the south was segregated, the cemetery was segregated too. The “colored” section of the cemetery was pretty overgrown and weed infested even in the 80s. I haven’t been back in 25 years, so I don’t know about now.
001110000011000000111000
> R.S.D.
08/26/2015 at 15:15 |
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Great information.
justjohn1965
> SteveLehto
08/26/2015 at 15:41 |
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Fort MacArthur in San Pedro has a K-9 cemetary as well.
http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/for…
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Please
> My citroen won't start
08/26/2015 at 18:16 |
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Long time voyeur, first time commenter. Had to create a burner account to nominate this for COTD.
MikeyEVO
> SteveLehto
08/26/2015 at 18:25 |
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I love this story thank you.
VincentMalamute-Kim
> SteveLehto
08/26/2015 at 21:06 |
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Yeah, too many onions/dust/peppers/tear gas around here.
Pretty dogs! My backyard is full of multiple types of burrs now. Your two would not survive. Mine complain enough about brushing.
mkirkland
> SteveLehto
08/26/2015 at 21:31 |
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It seems nice now, but we all know how this ends.
ocbrad1 used to be iamhoff but is now just wandering around
> SteveLehto
08/27/2015 at 01:28 |
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Awesome story, thanks for sharing. Being a doberman owner, I was particularly drawn to the Marine War Dog Memorial at Naval Base Guam. During the Second Battle of Guam in 1944, the USMC brought 60 dogs to serve as scouts and sentries during the campaign to retake Guam from the Japanese. Here’s a photo of that memorial. Semper Fi #NationalDogDay
Life and Times of Magoo: The People's Champ
> SteveLehto
08/27/2015 at 03:11 |
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Thanks for posting this. Been studying the world wars my whole life and the stories are endless. This brings up a less well known subject (the animals) and is truly interesting regardless of my previos historical knowledge.