War Dog Memorial Ceremony, Hartsdale Pet Cemetery, Hartsdale, New York, June 11, 2017
On Sunday, June 11, 2017, the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery held its annual War Dog Memorial Ceremony on its grounds at 75 North Central Park Avenue in the hamlet of Hartsdale in the town of Greenburgh in Westchester County, New York. Prior to a wreath-laying at the cemetery’s War Dog Memorial, the ceremony featured two guest speakers.
First up was Matthew Plumeri, a United States Marine Corp veteran who served as a working dog handler in Afghanistan. Plumeri was accompanied By Gulliver L248, the retired Specialized Search Dog whom he worked with in combat. Plumeri shared his war-time experience working with Gulliver and his painstaking effort to reunite with the dog following their service with the Marines.
The other guest was Nancy Schiesari, a filmmaker and professor in the Department of Radio-Television-Film at the University of Texas at Austin. Schiesari discussed her new documentary, “Canine Soldiers: The Militarization of Love.”
Ceremony speakers:
• Edward Martin III, Vice-President, Hartsdale Pet Cemetery
• Delroy Russell, Saint Andrew’s Church, Hartsdale (Invocation)
• Matthew Plumeri, United States Marine Corps veteran
• Nancy Schiesari, Professor, Department of Radio-Television-Film, University of Texas at Austin; Director/Producer, “Canine Soldiers: The Militarization of Love”