Man’s Best Friend event at the National Museum of the United States Air Force

Artist Jim Meliick speaks at “A Special Tribute to Man’s Best Friend” event at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force on Jan. 24, 2020. A traveling exhibition of wooden dog sculptures featuring eight Wounded Warrior Dogs and four Canine War Dogs was on display at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force from Nov. 8, 2019, through Jan. 31, 2020. The exhibit, titled “Canine Warriors – Courage and Sacrifice, Always Beside You,” was designed by Ohio master craftsman James Mellick to not only bring attention to the service and heroism of military working dogs, but to be symbolic of the courageous sacrifices and wounds suffered during battle by their human companions and to raise awareness about their needs. Mellick, who first began carving from wood in 1976 while working as a teacher in New Hampshire, didn’t start creating dog sculptures until 1985. Although creating art was always important to Mellick, telling the story of military working dogs and their handlers was not at the forefront of his mind at first.