The Military Order of the Purple Heart
Chapter #566

This is a letter from MOPH concerning the Memorial Fundraising.

The Military Order of the Purple Heart
Chapter # 566 Sharon Lane
Emerald Coast of Florida

To Whom it May Concern:

The Members of Chapter #566 of the Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH), located in Northwest Florida, are excited to be part of a plan to erect and dedicate a monument in honor of the Military Working Dogs at Eglin Air Force Base, and Hurlburt Field, Fort Walton Beach, Florida, and throughout the Nation.

The MOPH Chapter #566 members were asked to participate because of our experience in placing Memorial Monuments, and also because money needs to be raised for these projects, and of course it is not possible for the Military, per se, to do this. Another important consideration is the fact that in the event of a dog handler and /or his dog being, sadly, wounded or killed in action, then a Purple Heart Medal will be awarded to that person and /or animal. The MOPH Chapter #566 Members are all recipients of at least one Purple Heart, and some have several, having served in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Afghanistan, and /or Iraq. These members, along with the Ladies’ Auxiliary of Chapter # 566, have placed, or are in the process of placing, a Military Order of the Purple Heart Memorial Monument in each of the four surrounding counties to honor all the recipients of the Purple Heart for their service and sacrifice. As of August 7th 2006, the first Memorial Monument was placed at the Eglin Air Force Armament Museum (Okaloosa County) with over 600 people gathered at the Museum to attend the Dedication Ceremony. On November 11th, 2006, two more Memorial Monuments were placed at Military Memorial parks located in Milton, Santa Rosa County, and in Pensacola, Escambia County, followed by the Dedication ceremonies at both locations. Approximately 700 people attended the Ceremony at Milton, with close to 1000 at Pensacola. The planning for another Monument is under way, and this Memorial will be installed at the South Walton Annex in Walton County. This Dedication Ceremony is scheduled for May 24th, 2007. The Memorial Monument which is being planned for the Military Working Dogs will be the first of it’s kind to be installed in a location which is accessible to the public, rather than on a Military base and therefore accessible to Military Personnel only. The Eglin Air Force Armament Museum is actually located off- base, although within easy driving distance to Eglin Air Force Base. The MOPH is a non-profit organization, tax code 503-C-19. We raise money to help fellow Veterans in whatever way we can, e.g. Tee-shirt, Viola (the official MOPH emblem) and bake sales, and donations. The Monuments, however, are beyond our capacity, and therefore we must rely on generous donors to either donate funds or to sponsor the entire project. We have met with several people connected with the Eglin Armament Museum as well as Mrs. Lisette Clemons, LTC Knowles and Michele Ortiz who are involved in the Working Dog Memorial project and all of whom are dedicated to making the project a success.

We were invited to meet some of the Military Working Dogs, and their Military Canine Handlers, members of the Security Forces Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base. At present two of the handlers and their dogs are deployed, one in Iraq and one in Qatar. Two more are being deployed in March to Iraq, SrA Justin Morrison with his dog, Warco, and SSgt. Michael Espinoza and his dog, Jimmy. We have also enclosed a picture of the proposed Memorial Monument which we hope to have installed and dedicated some time during June of this year. A wonderful project, we hope you will agree, but an expensive one. The total cost is estimated to be in the range of $30,000. This will include the bronze statue, the stone base with the appropriate engraved lettering, the shipping and installation fees, and also the cost of the Ceremony itself. Previously our generous sponsors have had the names of their companies or organizations engraved on the Monuments. We have been honored to have representatives from these companies attend our Ceremonies, and to be one of our speakers. This will be true for the Military Working Dog Monument Memorial Ceremony, if our sponsors so decide that they would like to participate. There is also a great deal of publicity for all concerned, because our Ceremonies have been extremely well attended by high ranking officials, both military and civilian, and by other military personnel and the general public. We have received excellent coverage by the local newspapers, TV and radio stations and State and National MOPH magazines . At the Military Working Dogs Ceremony, two dogs, Blesk and Jacco, will be officially retired. As an example of the service required of these wonderfully clever and courageous animals, Jacco has been deployed eight times to combat zones, for periods of six to eight months each deployment. Also we are planning to award a Purple Heart Medal to a deserving canine. These events will surely prove to be of extra interest. We shall be most grateful if your organization or company will be so kind as to sponsor the beautiful Monument, or to donate generously. It will mean so much to the brave young Military Canine Handlers, the dedicated Veterinary personnel and to all who are connected with the Military Working Dogs, including those whose lives have been saved by these amazing animals. There is no doubt that the Military Working Dogs are deserving of our recognition and gratitude. Thank you very much for your attention to this matter, and we are looking forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.

Sincerely Yours,
Bill Everett
Commander President,

Jacqueline Everett
Ladies Auxiliary

Please send donations to:

MOPH Chapter #566 / K-9,
Attn: Bill Everett 5727 Buck Ward Road
Baker, FL 32531

Email Questions to Commander Bill Everett at we1538@aol.com

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