A new addition is coming to a Tuscaloosa park honoring military personnel commemorating a service dog who spent two tours in Iraq with a now-retired local Marine and a third in Afghanistan with another handler.
Heather Shipley, a spokesperson for the Tuscaloosa County Park & Recreation Authority, said their organization oversees Veterans Memorial Park, where visitors can find monuments honoring warfighters, military vehicles and weapons and more.
Next month, PARA and local dignitaries will install a new statue in the park in memory of specialized search dog (SSD) Lucca K458, who died in January 2018 six years after she was retired from the Marine Corps.
Shipley said the life-size bronze monument, sculpted by an Oregon artist and standing on a stone base built by Alabama’s Richard Bradley, will be installed on March 13th at 3 p.m.
(submitted by PARA)
Lucca was a German Shepherd mix trained to sniff out explosive devices for the Marines and spent two tours of duty in Iraq with Tuscaloosa native Chris Willingham before teaming up with another marine for his tour in Afghanistan. PARA said Lucca completed over 400 patrols, and no service members were injured while she walked point.
She was injured by an improvised explosive device in March 2012 and retired to live with Willingham before her death in 2018.
The statue will be installed on March 13th, the anniversary of the inauguration of the Department of Defense’s K-9 Corps, in a ceremony at the park on McFarland Boulevard that’s open to the public. It honors Lucca and the thousands of other service dogs saving human lives in the U.S. military and was funded by the U.S. War Dogs Association.
“Seeing Lucca come home to Alabama is a proud and emotional moment for me and my family. She was an incredible asset, and her skills acted as a life-saving force multiplier,” said Willingham, who will speak at the unveiling. “There is no doubt that her legacy in the U.S. Military will live on. On a personal level, she saw me through some of my darkest days and truly was my dog of a lifetime. Nothing made me happier than when we got to spend time together on my family’s farm here in Tuscaloosa, and seeing her monument take a permanent home here is an incredible feeling.”
“On behalf of the City of Tuscaloosa, we are honored to welcome SSD Lucca home with this powerful tribute to her and all military working dogs who have served our nation with courage and loyalty,” Mayor Walt Maddox said. “Lucca’s story is one of dedication and skill, and this monument will ensure that her legacy—and that of all K-9 heroes—lives on for generations to come.”
“PARA is proud to host this special event alongside our partners, recognizing the extraordinary contributions of military working dogs like Lucca,” said PARA CEO Brian Davis. “This monument is not just a tribute to her bravery but to all service animals who have played a vital role in protecting our nation. We invite the community to join us on March 13th to honor these heroes and their handlers.”
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