SPACE.
HE RETIRED FROM NASA IN 1981.
ARTHEL: ONE OF THE NATION'S MOST
FAMOUS WAR DOGS WAS HONORED
TODAY.
A BOSTON TERRIER MIX WENT TO
EUROPE WITH HIS CONNECTICUT UNIT
DURING WORLD WAR I.
HE PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN WARNING
OF INCOMING GAS ATTACKS AND
STAYING WITH WOUNDED SOLDIERS
UNTIL HELP ARRIVED.
WELL, NOW HE HAS A SCULPTURE IN
CONNECTICUT'S VETERAN'S MEMORIAL
PARK.
IT WAS UNVEILED TODAY AND THE
SCULPTOR IS HERE, SUSAN, I'M SO
HAPPY TO HAVE YOU AND VERY
EXCITED ABOUT THIS STORY.
I WAS VERY -- THEY ASKED ME IF I
WANTED TO DO IT.
I'M LIKE YES YES YES I WANT TO
DO THIS STORY.
FIRST OF ALL I LOVE ANIMALS AND
A WAR HERO IS EVEN MORE BETTER
AS WE WOULD SAY.
TELL ME ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE AIMING
TO CAPTURE SUSAN AS YOU WERE
SCULPTING.
>> I WANTED TO CAPTURE HIS
LIKENESS OF COURSE, FROM OLD
PHOTOGRAPHS.
I ALSO WANTED TO CAPTURE THAT
BEAUTIFUL SPIRIT, THAT COURAGE.
YOU KNOW, HIS ABILITY, HIS
BRAVERY, HIS ABILITY TO HELP THE
TROOPS AT BOTH THE BATTLEFIELD
AND AT HOME.
>> SITTING NEXT TO YOU IS THE
WAX VERSION OF THIS.
TELL US ABOUT THE WORK THAT WENT
INTO GETTING INTO THE FINAL
PRODUCT.
>> THERE ARE MANY STAGES IN THE
CASTING PROCESS.
ONCE WE HAVE A MOLD FROM THE
ORIGINAL CLAY, THEN WE POUR A
WAX INTO THAT MOLD.
AND THEN THERE'S MANY STEPS TILL
YOU GET TO THE BRONZE, WHICH IS
AT THE VETERANS PARK.
THIS IS THE WAX.
WE MADE IT SPECIALLY TO SHOW
YOU.
ARTHEL: YOU KNOW, IT LOOKS
BEAUTIFUL JUST IN WAX FORM.
AND YOU MAKE IT SEEM SO EASY,
BUT I MEAN, LIKE HOW MANY HOURS,
WEEKS, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH
WORK GOES INTO THIS
>> IT TAKES A FEW MONTHS TO DO
ALL THE PROPER RESEARCH AND THEN
TO TRY TO CAPTURE THE PHYSICAL
CHARACTERISTICS AND THEN TRY TO,
YOU KNOW, BRING THE SOUL OF THAT
ANIMAL SOMEHOW INTO THAT WORK,
AND THEN WHEN IT'S ALL DONE,
HOPEFULLY YOU CAN TAKE A DEEP
BREATH AND HOPEFULLY FOR
GENERATIONS TO COME, HONOR AND
JUSTICE TO OUR MILITARY, HUMAN
AND ANIMAL KIND.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
WHAT EMOTION DOS YOU HOPE TO
EVOKE -- WHAT EMOTIONS DO YOU
HOPE TO EVOKE FROM PEOPLE WHEN
THEY VISIT THE SCULPTURE?
>>I WANT THEM TO FEEL PRIDE,
INSPIRATION.
I WANT THEM TO FEEL THAT BOY IF
A DOG COULD DO THAT, I THINK I
COULD DO THAT THING THAT I NEED
TO DO.
AND I THINK I WANT US TO TREAT
OUR ANIMALS WELL, RESPECT THEM.
OUR WAR ANIMALS OF ALL DIFFERENT
KINDS.
YOU KNOW, OUR HORSES, OUR MULES,
OUR DONKEYS, OUR PIGEONS, ALL
THESE ANIMALS SERVED.
SO I WANT TO HONOR THEIR DEEDS
AND THEIR SACRIFICES.
ARTHEL: THIS IS NOT YOUR FIRST
MILITARY DOG THAT YOU HAVE
MEMORIALIZED.
YOU'VE GOT A COUPLE EXAMPLES
HERE.
>> THIS IS ALWAYS FAITHFUL, OUR
COUNTRY'S FIRST OFFICIAL WAR DOG
MEMORIAL FROM 1994.
THAT WAS UNVEILED AT THE MARINE
CORPS WAR DOG CEMETERY ON GUAM.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST A SMALL
VERSION.
OF COURSE IT IS IN LIFE SIZE.
ARTHEL: SURE.
>> AND THEN THIS PIECE IS SMOKY.
THIS IS A GREAT LITTLE 4 POUND
YORKSHIRE TERRIER WHO WAS
RESCUED FROM A FOXHOLE IN NEW
GUINEA WHO WAS THEN TRAINED TO
DO 200 TRICKS TO CHEER UP THE
TROOPS.
SHE'S OFTEN CALLED THE FIRST
THERAPY DOG ON RECORD.
AND ACTUALLY CHARLES MAYO WAS
THE ONE WHO SAID I THINK THAT'S
A GOOD IDEA TO TAKE ON THE
GROUNDS WHEN HER OWNER WAS IN
THE HOSPITAL AND THEY CHEERED UP
THE TROOPS.
AND THAT'S WHO SHE IS.
ARTHEL: IS REAL LIFE SIZED
BECAUSE -- THIS IS REAL LIFE
SIZED BECAUSE YOU HAVE HER
INSIDE OF A HELMET.
>> YES, THEY DID EVERYTHING IN A
HELMET.
ARTHEL: I KNOW YOU SAID YOU DO
THIS FOR THE LOVE OF ANIMALS.
YOU WANT TO HONOR THEM AND ALL
OF OUR MILITARY MEMBERS, THE
FOUR LEGGED VERSION AS WELL AS
THE PEOPLE WHO SERVE.
YOU KNOW, BUT HOW DID YOU START
ON THIS JOURNEY?
>> WELL, I STARTED BECAUSE I
ALWAYS LOVE DOGS AND I USED TO
SHOW THEM.
AND I MET A DOCTOR WHO SAW MY
WORK AND SAID SUSAN YOU HAVE TO
APPLY FOR THIS COMMISSION AND
THAT CHANGED MY LIFE BECAUSE
THEN I GOT TO REALLY MEET PEOPLE
IN THE MILITARY AND UNDERSTAND
MORE ABOUT THEIR SACRIFICE AND
IT LED TO MANY MONUMENTS.
I DID ONE OF THE LATE DOG WHO
SERVED AND SACRIFICED FOR US.
ARTHEL: HIS MILITARY COMPANION
WAS ROBERT J. CONROY, AN ARMY
CORPORAL.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I WAS COMMISSIONED BY THE
FAMILY, THE DESCENDANTS OF HIM
TO DO THIS, THIS HONOR.
SO WE CAPTURED HIM IN A
SALUTE -- SALUTE BECAUSE HE WAS
SMUGGLED ABOARD A SHIP WHEN THE
COMMANDER FOUND HIM OUT, HE DID
A TRIP THAT CONROY TAUGHT HIM,
HE RAISED HIS PAW AND HE DID A
SALUTE.
ONCE HE DID THAT, HE WAS IN.
HE WAS ON 17 BATTLEFIELDS.
AS YOU SAID HE DID SO MUCH.
I WANTED TO CAPTURE HIM IN THAT
SPECIAL POSE.
THE RIGHT PAW, DUTY, THE LEFT
PAW FRIENDSHIP AND LOVE.
ARTHEL: THIS THE WAX VERSION IS
REALLY -- GIVES ME CHILLS JUST
LOOKING AT IT AND YOUR STORY
BEHIND IT.
I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT THE
BRONZE VERSION LOOKS LIKE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> YOU'RE WELCOME.
I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION THE
PURPLE POPPY IF I MAY.
IT REPRESENTS ALL OUR SERVICE
ANIMALS AND WANT TO DO A
MONUMENT OUR COUNTRY'S FIRST
OFFICIAL SERVICE ANIMALS
MONUMENT, FOR ALL THESE DOGS LAW
ENFORCEMENT AND ASSISTANCE
ANIMALS.
I HOPE PEOPLE WILL GET ON THE
WEBSITE AND BE PART OF IT AND
JUST HELP US MOVE ALONG AND MAKE
THIS HAPPEN.
ARTHEL: YEAH, YOU KNOW, THIS IS
THE PERFECT TIME THIS WEEKEND AS
WE REMEMBER ALL OF OUR BRAVE MEN
AND WOMEN AND ANIMALS WHO HAVE
SERVED TO PROTECT THIS GREAT
COUNTRY OF OURS.
>> UH-HUH.
ARTHEL: WE THANK YOU FOR
