Wednesday, October 29, 2014

A Tribute To Animals

In Confederation Park is the newest military monument in the city, one that I've shown on a previous occasion, but not the plaques. It's dedicated to animals that served with soldiers through various conflicts. The plaques tell the story, with vivid work done on the bronzework to illustrate their role. Each plaque is set on old stone, which seems appropriate.




The three plaques are accompanied at the monument by this statue of a working dog, which I have shown before, but which seems right to feature again. The monument in the background is the oldest in the park, commemorating veterans of the South African War. Having both side by side is fitting.



41 comments:

  1. cool!! and very interesting Im sure :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love dogs so much, I think they are the best friend of man, as the saying goes.

    Tomás.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Quite appropriate that we be reminded of our stewardship for these wonderful creatures.

    ReplyDelete
  4. A touching tribute to the animals that contributed to the wars.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Why there is not more of these, I do not know. They continue to play such a strategic role in our history too.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I wish my Grandfather could have seen these,he was in the Royal Horse Artillery and loved his horses. I'm glad to know that we haven't forgotten our animals.
    Jane x

    ReplyDelete
  7. I've never heard of those monuments, very interesting.

    ReplyDelete
  8. @Jen: I really should photograph it during winter.

    @Tomas: they certainly are.

    @Revrunner: definitely.

    @Marianne: one extra detail I haven't photographed: there are dog prints and horseshoe prints in the pavement.

    @Deb: I think so.

    @Birdman: they certainly do.

    @Jane and Chris: the idea for this one was a good one.

    @Gnome: it's a very different monument from what one might expect.

    @Jackie: I thought so!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I have seen similar memorials in London and Rome...

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wonderful! Animals should be recognized for their contributions to our society.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Interesting post, William, I've never seen plaques dedicated to animals before...

    ReplyDelete
  12. It's good to remember the animals.

    ReplyDelete
  13. This reminds me of the tribute to police dogs that we have in the park near our state capitol. I like that these animals are paid the respect they are due.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Those are wonderful and well deserved monuments.
    Your blog makes me think of the movie "War Horse" we saw recently.

    ReplyDelete
  15. There is no question of the value these animals had for military personnel. It is nice to see them memorialized in this way. When I was teaching American history, I would bring in Vietnam vets to speak of their experiences in that miserable war and one time I had a soldier bring in a German Shepherd which was serving with the army and was a direct descendant of a dog that served in Vietnam. It was all most interesting.

    ReplyDelete
  16. @VP: in a city filled with statues of politicians, this one's a refreshing change of pace.

    @Tex: I've liked it since it was unveiled.

    @Norma: they certainly should.

    @Karl: whoever came up with the idea had the right one.

    @Judy: it definitely is.

    @Sharon: such statues sometimes pop up in the oddest of places.

    @Jan: would you believe I've not seen that one?

    @Lowell: Shepherds are among the brightest of dogs, and well suited for this kind of work.

    @RedPat: they definitely are.

    ReplyDelete
  17. That is really nice. Our animal heroes don't get enough recognition!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I'm glad they don't use horses as transportation in war anymore, at least not in most places. So many of them died during the American Civil War, it is disturbing.

    Love the dog!

    ReplyDelete
  19. I think that is a wonderful idea cause they did go through it all to ! Have you ever seen the movie War horse ? wonderful it is ! Thanks for sharing , Have a good day !

    ReplyDelete
  20. This is a very special memorial. Our animals need recognition also. I saw a memorial dedicated to them in London but as I was in the top of a bus I couldn't get off for a closer look.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I echo Denise's comment! Thanks for sharing, William.

    ReplyDelete
  22. They deserve it so much! Great to see these photos.

    ReplyDelete
  23. I think these monuments are a great idea! Thanks for showing them to us.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I don't think I've seen anything like this before.

    ReplyDelete
  25. @Halcyon: they certainly don't.

    @Linda: from everything I've read of that war, yes, the horses suffered.

    @Country Gal: unfortunately that's a film I have yet to see.

    @Denise: I find myself wondering how many statues like this might be out there.

    @Linda: you're welcome.

    @Marleen: thanks!

    @EG: it's a pleasure.

    @Ciel: the dog in particular seems so life like. I've watched real dogs stop and stare.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Nice that animals' sacrifices are recognized!

    ReplyDelete
  27. That is neat. I've seen lots of beloved animals recognized in human cemeteries so nice to see them honored in their own right.

    ReplyDelete
  28. What would we do without our animal partners? We too often forget to honor their sacrifices.

    ReplyDelete
  29. It was good to see the mules on one of the plaques. People forget how much they were used for hauling. Of course, I'm partial to the statute of the German Shepherd.

    ReplyDelete
  30. These animal soldiers are so often overlooked.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Very cool. My father was a veterinarian. In WWII, he served in China, Burma and India and took care of the horses, mules and other pack animals that supplied the Allied troops.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Looks like you were in all the same wars as us, mostly.

    ReplyDelete
  33. I didn't know this! We shall have to go see it next time we're downtown.
    BTW
    Aren't you glad Ghomeshi lives in TO, not Ottawa?! sigh

    ReplyDelete
  34. @Cheryl: it is.

    @Joan: I get a kick out of seeing live dogs around this statue.

    @Kay: that is true.

    @Mari: animals have given a lot in war.

    @Hamilton: true. This memorial was worth doing.

    @Jack: there was a lot of need for animals back then, especially in some parts of the conflict.

    @Randy: I think so too.

    @Whisk: it is.

    @Peter: most of them.

    @Hilary: so do I.

    @Jennifer: you'd enjoy this monument.

    ReplyDelete