Ted Marshall owes his life to dog, Sandy.
"If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here," said Marshall, an Air Force veteran. "That simple."
Marshall and his German Shepherd partner worked side-by-side for two years in Vietnam. At the end of the war, Marshall came home but Sandy and the other Vietnam canines were ordered to stay.
"It broke my heart," Marshall said. "It was the hardest part of my life when I knew I was going to leave that day and I was never going to see him again."
Marshall keeps Sandy's picture in his wallet. It's the only picture Marshall has had in his wallet for 43 years.
"We had over 4,000 dogs that served in Vietnam and because of their actions, they saved over 10,000 lives," Marshall said.
Now, a special monument will help honor the memory of Sandy and other patrol dogs who were lost in war.
Bob Silmser, co-chair of the Veterans Memorial Park Museum Committee, came up with the idea to put a memorial at Veterans Memorial Park after hearing Sandy's story.
"And I said, you know what, we need a war dog memorial in this park," Silmser said. "We were memorializing all of the troops for wars we were in, but we weren't doing anything for the dogs."
Now, a bronze image of Sandy will tell the story of war dogs all over the country.
Marshall couldn't be prouder.
"That's just overwhelming," Marshall said.
He hopes the monument touches hearts like Sandy touched his.
The war dog memorial cost about $4,000. All of the money came through private donations.
Organizers are also selling plaques for those want to leave permanent messages for their war canines.
The memorial itself will be finished by November so that a dedication ceremony can take place on Veteran's Day.