In Remembrance of America’s War Dogs on February 17
Ceremonies Begin at 10 a.m.; K-9 Demonstrations follow at Noon
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The March Field Air Museum will host its annual War Dog Remembrance Day on Saturday, February 17, 2018, honoring the many military canines and their handlers who have served their country. Ceremonies kick off at 10 a.m. at the West Coast War Dog Memorial (located in the Museum’s outdoor Heritage Courtyard), presented in partnership with The Dawgs Project. Then at noon, a K-9 team will demonstrate dog handling abilities and techniques, subject to availability.
Parking and admission are free to the outdoor ceremonies and demonstrations, which will be held rain or shine. Military veterans, active duty service personnel, and the general public are invited to attend; no personal pets are allowed. The keynote speaker for the Remembrance Day ceremonies will be U.S. Department of Defense Police Officer Christopher Torrez, Force Protection, Commander Naval Region Southwest. Participating in the K-9 demonstrations will be active duty military canines and their handlers from the U.S. Marine Corps, 1st Marine Expeditionary Forces, Law Enforcement Battalion. All day long, current-duty service members and veterans will enjoy free museum admission.
Dedicated in February 2000 at the March Field Air Museum, the West Coast War Dog Memorial honors the military canine heroes and their handlers who have served in battle—and their sacrifices. War Dogs, also known as Military Working Dogs, have been used by the U.S. Military since World War I. During the Vietnam War, all four branches of the military employed nearly 5,000 canines and 10,000 handlers, making this the largest concentrated effort in using dogs and their handlers by the U.S. Military. War Dogs continue to serve today by sniffing out explosives and narcotics, tracking and apprehending combatants in hiding, and performing many other roles while helping America’s troops to avoid unnecessary human casualties.
The March Field Air Museum is located alongside Interstate Highway 215 at Van Buren Boulevard, just south of downtown Riverside and adjacent to March Air Reserve Base. Regular hours are currently Tuesday through Sunday (closed most Mondays) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Parking is free. Haven’t visited the museum lately? New exhibits and friendly docents have combined to help make this fascinating military aviation museum the highest-rated Trip Advisor attraction in Riverside. Along with numerous exhibits and more than 70 military aircraft on display, the Museum grounds include the Heritage Courtyard featuring the Freedom Wall, Distinguished Flying Cross National Memorial, the West Coast War Dog Memorial, the 15th Air Force Wall, and the P-38 Lightning Memorial.
For more information about War Dog Remembrance Day or the Museum in general, please call 951-902-5949 or visit www.marchfield.org.
About March Field’s Centennial
March Field (today’s March Air Reserve Base, located immediately adjacent to the March Field Air Museum) is the West Coast’s oldest continuously operating military airfield. Established in 1918 as the U.S. was embroiled in World War I, it began life as part of the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Following several sleepy years in the 1920s, March Field was expanded in the 1930s as the world again prepared for war. As March Field passed the quarter-century mark, it was busily protecting West Coast skies and training U.S. Army Air Forces personnel for deployment to all Combat Theaters during WWII. Following the war—as the Cold War began—and then continuing for nearly 50 years, March Air Force Base became the U.S. Air Force Strategic Air Command 15th Air Force headquarters and home to a massive nuclear deterrent force.
In 1993, as March Field celebrated its 75th anniversary, it was selected for realignment and subsequently re-designated March Air Reserve Base. Today March Field is home to the Air Force Reserve Command’s 4th Air Force Headquarters and the 452nd Air Mobility Wing, the largest air mobility wing of the 4th Air Force. In addition to multiple units of the Air Force Reserve Command, March ARB is also home to units from the U.S. Air Force, Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, California Air National Guard, California Army National Guard and the Department of Homeland Security. As it begins its second century as a military airfield, March Air Reserve Base is expanding to encompass new missions in service to, and in protection of, our great nation.
About March Field Air Museum
The March Field Air Museum is a nonprofit educational institution dedicated to promoting an understanding of humanity’s reach for the skies and March Field’s pivotal role in the development of flight. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and rated the #1 Attraction in Riverside by TripAdvisor, the museum is open Tuesday through Sunday and located alongside Interstate Highway 215 at Van Buren Boulevard, just south of downtown Riverside and adjacent to March Air Reserve Base. Over 80 aircraft are on display, ranging from a replica of the 1903 Wright Flyer (which launched powered flight worldwide), to the world’s fastest manned air-breathing aircraft (the SR-71 Blackbird) and a modern-day MQ-1 Predator (remotely piloted aircraft), to early examples of military aircraft, to some of America’s most iconic military planes including World War II bombers. For more information about the museum, visit www.marchfield.org or call (951) 902-5949.
