A North Texas park is honoring Vietnam veterans and the often-forgotten four-legged veterans of war.
To mark Veterans Day, new markers went up Monday at Spc. Ernest W. Dallas Jr. Veterans Memorial Park.
The newest marker features the image of a German shepherd and reads, "War Dogs: In Honor of our Four Legged Heroes Past, Present, and Future."
Memorial curator Monty Slough said it's an important addition for a group of fallen veterans that is often not remembered.
Slough, a Vietnam veteran, partnered with a dog during the war named Brandi. They were separated after an ambush and he didn't learn until years later that Brandi was killed in action.
Small memorials to war dogs have slowly been appearing over the years to honor the K-9s who served as essential scouts and detectors for the military, Slough said. He said he even hopes to add a dog statue near the marker in the future.
In addition to the war dogs section, Slough also added a new section for fallen Vietnam veterans to the memorial as it slowly grows year-by-year.
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The Denton memorial was started in 2012 at the park and named for Spc. Ernest W. Dallas Jr., who died July 24, 2005, in Iraq.
One of the main features of the site is the Walk of Honor, which has several stone markers placed with the images and names of Denton County's fallen soldiers from Desert Storm, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Right now, it includes 21 stone markers and will continue until the war in Afghanistan is over, Slough said.
