UNION TOWNSHIP, Ohio — This Veterans Day, former and current service members will be recognized for their service to our country. In Union Township, a special ceremony will pay tribute to a four-pawed veteran who served in the Vietnam War.
Chico served as a military working dog trained to alert on the scent of humans and trip wires. Mike Monohan was his handler during the war, and the two grew very close.
"He alerted on the trip wire," Monohan recalled during ourinterview back in February of this year.
He is in the process of publishing a book on Chico's service, told through the voice of the dog.
Monohan will dedicate a memorial brick in Chico's name at the Union Township Veterans Memorial Park this Veterans Day. The brick will reside in a special section where other military working dogs are honored for their sacrifice.
There are other events planned starting at 10 a.m. with the dedication set for 1 p.m.
This Veterans Day, Secretary of Interior David Bernhardt has opened the door for all veterans and gold star families to receive free access to all national parks and other federal lands.
"With the utmost respect and gratitude, we are granting veterans and Gold Star families free access to the iconic and treasured lands they fought to protect starting this Veterans Day and every single day thereafter," said Secretary Bernhardt.
The non-profit People Working Cooperatively (PWC) will focus on ramping it up for veterans with their annual telethon on Veterans Day.
PWC has spent decades helping people throughout the Tri-State stay in their homes by doing critical home repairs and modifications. Nine years ago, they began to focus on raising money to build ramps at veterans' homes.
Those ramps can mean the difference of veterans getting to critical medical appointments. Wednesday, the telethon will raise money from 4-8 p.m. to help more veterans gain that accessibility.
To date, the non-profit said they've raised over $2.5 million specifically tied to help veterans and have made over 4,500 service calls tied to veterans' needs.
Many local restaurants and businesses are offering up free food and discounts to say thank you to veterans on this Veterans Day. A list compiled by Stars and Stripes is listed on Craig McKee's Facebook page and the Homefront Facebook Group.
If you have a veteran story to tell in your community, email homefront@wcpo.com. You also can join the Homefront Facebook group, follow Craig McKee on Facebook and find more Homefront stories here.
