Cena, a 10-year-old black Lab who served in the Marines, received a hero’s farewell in Michigan on July 26. The farewell event was attended by Marines, police officers and firefighters from around the state.
Cena, who served three tours in Afghanistan as a Marine Corps bomb-detection dog until his retirement in 2014, was dignosed with terminal bone cancer two weeks ago. He was euthanized on Wednesday and draped in the American flag. Before he was killed, hundreds of people in Michigan came together to salute and say a tear-filled final goodbye to him.
Marine veteran Jeff DeYoung, was the dog’s handler for a 2009 to 2010 tour in Afghanistan. The dog kept DeYoung warm during cold nights in the field and was his comfort when friends died. In 2014, following their retirement, DeYoung adopted Cena and it became his service dog for post-traumatic stress disorder.
“My whole adult life I’ve had Cena,” DeYoungsaid. “When I was 19 overseas learning how to be responsible, I had Cena. And now I’m 27 and I’m having to say goodbye to one of the biggest pieces of my life.”
De Young later added: "Any dog that served overseas deserves exactly what I've done for Cena, if not more," DeYoung said."
"Lord, it is with heavy hearts that we are sending another Marine to you today," said chaplain Wesley Spyke as he addressed the crowd in prayer.
Cena was eventually put to sleep on a Muskegon museum ship, the USS LST 393. A GoFundMe page has been launched to help create a headstone for him.
See video from Cena's farewell event below.
No comments:
Post a Comment