Dear
Mr. Bennett:
Thank
you for your recent letter advocating placement of a memorial in Riverside
National Cemetery dedicated to dogs in military service. I understand that
you have also discussed this issue with Mr. Fred Watson and Mr. Robert
Holbrook, service directors with the National Cemetery Administration. I
believe they, as well as Mr. Stave Jorgensen, Director of Riverside
National Cemetery, have apprised you of the recommendation of our Advisory
Committee on Cemeteries and Memorials as well as of the decision denying
placement of the memorial at Riverside National Cemetery.
I
wish to commend you for your devotion to our Nation’s veterans and your
generosity in supporting
various memorials to be developed at Riverside National Cemetery. Please
be assured that I share with you a deep awareness and appreciation for the
contribution made by the war dog handlers and their dogs to America’s
war efforts. Denial of the placement of the memorial is in no way intended
to diminish or ignore the contribution of these men and animals. The
proposed memorial plan for Riverside involves creation of a primary Medal
of Honor Memorial that will recognize those who received our nation’s
highest award. Additionally, the placement of The Veterans Memorial will
serve as a bold statement of the ultimate sacrifice made by those who have
died in combat.
Both of these memorials directly honor the men and women who served in our
military forces, and I strongly believe this focus represents our
commitment to maintain our national cemeteries as shrines dedicated to our
nation’s veterans.
In
your letter you requested that the issue of placement of a memorial
honoring dogs in Military service be reconsidered by our Advisory
Committee on Cemeteries and Memorials. I will
be pleased to place this issue on the agenda for the next Advisory
Committee meeting scheduled for October 1999.
The
Department of Veterans Affairs has been made aware that one or more
Internet web sites are actively soliciting donations of money and are
urging purchase of Nature’s Recipe pet foods In order to fund the War
Dog Memorial and that more than one million dollars has been collected.
Such web sites directly state that the memorial will be placed in
Riverside National Cemetery, Mr. Jorgensen furnished my office with a copy
of a letter sent to you in February 1999 requesting that reference to
Riverside National Cemetery as an inducement for donation be ceased. This
issue is being reviewed by our General Counsel, and I request that you
take necessary steps to have all reference to placing a War Dog Memorial In
Riverside National
Cemetery deleted from any web site using such advertising.
