“War Dogs: Never Above You, Never Below You, Always Beside You,” an exhibition about America’s military working dogs, will open at the Upcountry History Museum on Oct. 30.
The exhibition, which features 10 life-sized, hand-carved wooden sculptures, designed and created by Ohio master craftsman John Mellick, will showcase the history, service and heroism of these canines.
In addition, the exhibit will tell the story of Lucca, a Marine Corps war dog that conducted more than 400 missions during two deployments to Iraq and one to Afghanistan. Lucca lost a leg and suffered severe burns while ensuring there were never any human casualties under her watch.
Did you know?
- All military working dogs (MWDs) and their handlers are trained in San Antonio at Lackland Air Force Base.
- The earliest recorded use of dogs in combat is around 600 B.C.
“I am moved by the physical and emotional sacrifice by the men and women of the United States military,” said Mellick. “I want to pay tribute to the soldiers who served with great sacrifice by creating the sculptural allegory of wounded warrior dogs who were the soldier’s best friend and companion in battle.”
The exhibition will also showcase an assortment of objects and combat art on loan from the National Museum of the Marine Corps, the United States Navy and the United States Coast Guard, as well as from private collections. All of the items will be used to help showcase how these dogs and their handlers worked together in World War II, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.
‘War Dogs’ will be featured in the museum through Feb. 27, 2022 and is included in admission. The Upcountry History Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
For more information, call 864-467-3100 or visit upcountryhistory.org.