Nemo's New Home

  • Published
  • By Mike Joseph
  • JBSA-Lackland Public Affairs
The Nemo Memorial, pictured above, was dedicated Nov. 15, 2005, to honor the efforts of a military working dog that saved his handler's life during an attack on Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Vietnam, Dec. 4, 1966. The Nemo Memorial committee recently completed an initiative to move the memorial to the United States Air Force Security Forces Museum at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.

A Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland memorial to military working dogs has moved from its original location to the United States Air Force Security Forces Museum.
Completed in late 2005 at the then 37th Security Forces Squadron kennel compound, the Nemo War Dog Heroes Memorial now resides outside the Security Forces Museum. The museum is located at the corner of Carswell Avenue and Femoyer Street on the basic training side of JBSA-Lackland.
"The move was facilitated by the projected relocation of the 802nd Security Forces Squadron MWD kennels to the Medina Training
Annex," said Bill Cummings, a former Air Force sentry dog handler and Nemo Memorial committee member.
"Moving to the Security Forces Museum will protect the integrity and heritage of an iconic
memorial to military working
dogs past, present and future," Cummings said.
The Nemo Memorial Committee partnered with several organizations on the relocation. They included the 802nd SFS, the 37th Training Wing, the 37th TRW Office of History and Research, and Tech. Sgt. Jason Adams, 802nd SFS kennel master.
Others who played a role in the project were past kennel masters Master Sgt. Jonathan Matthews, Master Sgt. Brian Hoglen, and
retired Tech. Sgt. Uliani Bio.
"There were many members of the 802nd SFS, the former 37th SFS and the 37th TRW who were instrumental in preserving the history of this memorial," Cummings said.
The 802nd Civil Engineer Squadron also worked with the Nemo Memorial committee by helping to incorporate a section of the original concrete kennel pad, built in 1967, at the new location.
"Moving a section of the original pad to the new site continues the lineage of representing a home for the Vietnam era canine heroes," said Cummings, also a member of the Vietnam Security Police and Vietnam Dog Handlers Associations.
Along with the new kennel pad, the original kennel sign about the memorial has been reproduced and a Nemo sculpture was refurbished by local artist Phil Brink, a former Airman. Cummings
said the committee also plans to erect an additional marker at the new site.
"The Security Forces museum already had an exhibit about military working dogs," said Tracy English, 37th TRW Office of History and Research director. "Moving the Nemo Memorial next to it made perfect sense."
The original Nemo Memorial was dedicated Nov. 15, 2005 in remembrance of the Dec. 4, 1966 predawn attack on Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Republic of Vietnam. Nemo saved his handler's life in the assault and helped repel the Viet Cong while losing his right eye and suffering a gunshot wound to the face.
In June 1967, the Air Force directed Nemo be returned to the United States as the first sentry dog officially retired from active service. Nemo spent most of his retirement years at the Department of Defense Dog Center on Lackland assigned to a permanent kennel before dying at Andrews Air Force Base in late 1972.

The first Air Force sentry dog, Nemo, is honored above for his actions in saving his handler's life during an attack on Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Vietnam, Dec. 4, 1966. During the attack, Nemo helped hold off enemy forces, saving his handler, but losing an eye in the battle. A memorial constructed in 2005 was recently moved to the Security Forces Museum at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland to help tell the story of military working dogs.