JBMF

Approved by U.S. Congress    (Public Law 110-181, Section 2877)   Congressional Sponsor:  U.S. Representative Walter B. Jones, NC

Get Involved!

JOHN BURNAM President, JBMF, Inc. jbmf@verizon.net

The long and difficult road from idea to the reality of a national monument will soon culminate with its hopeful unveiling and dedication in October 2013 (exact day to be announced in June). It will be the nation’s one and only National Monument honoring Military Working Dog Teams of all U.S. Armed Services and of all Wars since WWII. The public dedication and celebration will unfold at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. See you there!

Aside from managing and working on the details of the national monument project, I am employed fulltime as an information technology senior technical writer/editor for Bart & Associates, Inc., McLean, Virginia. I have made my living working in the information technology field since I graduated from college and retired from the U.S. Army as a Master Sergeant in 1984. The Washington DC metropolitan area has been my home since 1978.

My passion for a national monument to honor America's military working dogs and handlers derived from having served in the U.S. Army infantry as a German Shepherd Scout Dog Hander. I had the honor of handling Scout Dogs’, Timber and Clipper, and a Sentry Dog named Hans during the Vietnam War (1966-1968).

Serving with these hero dogs is how I learned of their incredible lifesaving capabilities during combat situations. The dog’s sight, hearing, and sense of smell were far superior to that of any human soldier I had ever observed on the battlefield.

The key for me was learning to keep my eyes on the dog and accurately interpret his body language in a timely manner. This was especially important when I was trying to avoid booby traps or unknowingly entering the kill zone of an enemy ambush. My dog partners were adept at finding hidden enemy caches of ammunition and supplies, hidden base camps, and camouflaged tunnel entrances only a sniffing dog could find.

My personal stories about serving with Clipper, Timber, and Hans are detailed in my books, “Dog Tags of Courage” and “A Soldier’s Best Friend.”

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John Burnam and Scout Dog, Clipper – Vietnam War 1966-1968

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    It was only after I published my own story in "Dog Tags of Courage" followed by "A Soldier's Best Friend" that I had a driving interest in researching the history of America's use of dogs in War. Over the years, I have studied hundreds of authentic photos and read lots of books and articles about how dogs and their handlers were traine d and deployed to save lives on battlefields, dating back to World War II.

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    I have met hundreds of dog handlers and their dogs (veterans, active duty, police, government, search & rescue, and civilian). I maintain a keen interest and connection to the training provided by the military and contractors; the veterinary care; and the deployment of today's military working dog teams to the war zones in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other parts of the world.

    ^^Kenneth Lichlider, President & Owner, Vohne Liche Kennels and John Burnam. Ken is a retired U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant and Veteran Dog Handler. Vohne Liche Kennels is a worldwide trainer of military and police working dog teams, foreign and domestic, and huge contributor to the National Monument effort. (Denver, Indiana – October 2010)

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    When I launched the idea for a National Monument project, I had limited knowledge as to what it would take, how long it would take, or how much money it would cost to get the job done. Even though the process has been long and arduous at times, we have made significant progress as evidenced by the information on this website.

    ^^The JBMF, Inc.Original Board of Directors from left to right:
    Richard Deggans, Secretary and Web Master;
    John Burnam, President; and Larry Chilcoat, Treasurer.
    (Photo by Tom Lynch - 2010)

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    Over the years, I've been fortunate to have been invited to speak at many events across the country; interviewed for newspaper and magazine articles; written many short stories for a variety of publications; and I've even been featured in a handful of TV documentaries.Along the way, I was privileged to have met U.S. Representative Walter B. Jones of North Carolina in Washington DC. He volunteered to sponsor the national monument's congressional legislation. Once the legislation was drafted, I was also honored to have been formally invited by several U.S. Congressional Subcommittees to give oral and written testimony as to why Congress should pass the legislation into law.

    ^^U.S. Representative Walter B. Jones, North Carolina & John BurnamWashington DC - April 2007

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    John Burnam giving oral testimony before two separate U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittees as to why they should pass legislation for the establishment pf a National Monument for all Military Working Dogs of all Wars since World War II. – Washington DC - 2007.

    January 2007 – U.S. Congressman Walter B. Jones, North Carolina sponsored legislation for a National Monument for Military Working Dog Teams.

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    January 28, 2008 – President George W. Bush signed bill into Public Law 110-181, Section 2877.

    October 28, 2009 – President Barack Obama amended public law to authorize the John Burnam Monument Foundation, Inc. to manage, fund, and build the National Monument.

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    Corporate Sponsor: Natural Balance Pet Foods, Inc. & Petco became our official corporate sponsors after I met had Mr. Joey Herrick in Washington DC in May 2011. I had invited Mr. Herrick to come to Washington DC on a second trip to meet with me and U.S. Congressman Walter B. Jones to discuss the details of what his company and Petco could do to help raise funds for the national monument project. I couldn’t have asked for a better company to help us.

    ^^November 17, 2011 - Washington DC: Joey Herrick, President, Natural Balance Pet Foods, Inc.; U.S. Representative Walter B. Jones, NC; Carrie Ask, Vice President, PETCO; John Burnam, President, JBMF, Inc.

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    ^^Joey Herrick displaying the graphics artist’s sketch of the national monument’s float design at the Lackland Air Force Base Fundraiser, San Antonio, Texas - May 2013.

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    ^^National Monument float won the Rose Parade’s President’s Trophy during the judging of all floats entered in the parade – January 1, 2013.

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    Maddie’s Fund: Corporate Sponsor: Mr. David and Cheryl Duffield founded Maddie’s Fund. Mr. Duffield had read an article I had written about my service as a scout dog handler during the Vietnam War and my work to establish a national monument for the war dogs. He invited me to meet with his Board f Directors. After my presentation, Maddie’s Fund agreed to be a Corporate Sponsor to help us raise funds for the national monument. Maddie’s Fund has been a perfect fit ever since.

    ^^Mr. David Duffield and John Burnam, Alameda, California – March 2012.

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    Paula Slater, Bronze Sculptor was selected from several artists to sculpt the bronze statues of the four dogs and the dog handler. It took Paula almost three years - start to finish. She started with our conceptual graphics design and developed miniature clay models of each statue. When they were approved, she sculpted the full-sized clay sculptures of the four dog breeds and the dog handler in masterful detail. After the full-sized clay models were approved, Paula hauled them from her studio to the foundry to be cast in bronze and then added the patina with expert precision.

    Paula is currently sculpting the bronze Dog Water Fountain as the final component to the national monument design. Paula has been a huge blessing to this project.

    ^^John Burnam and Paula Slater at the foundry in Berkely, California, December 2012.

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    ^^The four most prominent military working dogs since World War II.

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    Keith Monument Company, a Rock of Ages company, is providing and installing all the granite components covering approximately 3,000 square feet of the national monument’s plaza area (e.g., granite pedestals, large wall, benches, and pavers). The granite is quarried in the state of Vermont where granite is the official state rock. The granite will be cut to specifications, polished, inscribed, packed and shipped to Lackland Air Force Base for installation. Keith monument Company has established a reputation for selecting the highest quality granite and providing superior craftsmanship that lasts forever.

    ^^Rich Urbach, John Burnam and John Keith, Elizabethtown, Kentucky – April 22, 2013.

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    Laser Imaging & Design, Inc. is a premiere laser stone etching company. Jim Smith, Owner/CEO is the graphics laser artist working with JBMF to lay out the artwork of authentic photographs of military working dog teams of each war since WWII. Jim will create a unique and artful collage of photo images we have selected and laser-etch them onto a large slab of black granite. The black granite slab will be bonded to the back of the large granite History Wall. Jim is a sought after expert for his unique style of laser artwork on black granite that will last virtually forever.

    ^^Jim Smith and John Burnam – Lebanon, Ohio, April 23, 2013.

 
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