Excerpts taken from VDHA Newsletter

Dogman  April 2, 2006

War Dog Monument Gets Own Identity

The National War Dog Memorial Committee has finally evolved into the

 National War Dog Monument, Inc.

The IRS approval as a 501 (c) 3 was granted Feb. 3, 2006.

The officers of VDHA have adopted a resolution to abolish the National War Dog

Memorial Committee. This is a part of the evolution from the VDHA to the NWDM,

Inc. becoming a 501 (c) 3 organization. The National War Dog Monument is now a

stand-alone organization with its own bylaws and officers and much better fundraising

capabilities with the new status. The VDHA made a sizable contribution to the National

War Dog Monument, Inc. in the amount of $92,000. The remaining monies will be contributed

when the VDHA is assured that no liabilities remain for the VDHA that

were incurred by the NWDM.  It is estimated that the transfer will take

place at the end of April 2006, once IRS returns have been filed.

National War Dog Monument, Inc. is now a separate entity from the Vietnam

Dog Handler Association. The officers and directors of NWDM are elected and

serve according to the bylaws of the NWDM. The VDHA can no longer appoint

officers or directors. The only connection between the two organizations is the history.

The president of the VDHA informed VDHA officers there would be an audit.

The audit was to assure the VDHA that there were no outstanding obligations of

the NWDM for which we were responsible. The second purpose of the audit was

to assure that all was in order for the filing of the IRS and State of California 2005

and 2006 tax returns. The information needed for Vietnam Dog Handler purposes has

now been obtained, documented, and preserved. The VDHA will contribute $97,839.35

(approximate, per statement of Jan. 31, 2006) to National War Dog Monument,

This contribution will be made once the audit (verification that all funds have been

reimbursed to the VDHA for disbursements on behalf of the NWDM Fund) is complete.

BY JOHN C. BURNAM

Special to DogMan

Effective Jan. 14, 2006, the National War Dogs Monument, Inc. became an

officially Registered IRS tax-exempt public charity (Tax ID: 77-0601785).

It now operates as an independent entity under section 501(c) (3)

of the Internal Revenue Code. And as such, can no longer operate under the

management of the VDHA 501(c) (19) veteran organization by-laws,

supplemental policies and guidelines. Operating as a public charity gives the

project a gigantic boost in flexibility to raise tax-deductible contributions

from a wide range of businesses, organizations and the general public, which

could not be accomplished under the VDHA 501 (c) (19) veteran organization status.

CONGRESS: Becoming a 501(c) (3) public charity was also mandatory before Congressman

Walter B. Jones, North Carolina, could submit the Congressional Bill of Resolution

to the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate for a vote to mandate

a national war dogs monument in Washington, D.C. By the time you read this article,

that bill of resolution will have been registered in the Congressional Record.

That action will be followed by a scheduled congressional subcommittee hearing to

listen and record testimony as to why the U.S. Congress should approve a national war

dogs monument. I’ve been invited to give testimony along with a few other veteran

war dog handlers serving on the monument’s board of directors. It is expected that the

news media will cover this hearing. After the hearing, it will take many more months

(not years) for the bill to go through the other approval processes to gather majority

support in the House and Senate. You can become a part of this historical process

if you act now and contact your state’s members of Congress and ask them to vote

“yes” on this historic bill for our war dog heroes.

-          http://www.senate.gov/

-          http://www.house.gov/

Another phase of approval process will be the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts,

the National Capital Planning Commission, National Park Service and the

Commemorative Works Act for design, artwork, material, size, historical

accuracy and other required specifications, including a suitable location.

Once all the legislation has been approved by the House and Senate,

President George W. Bush must sign the bill into law.

The National War Dogs Monument fund account is located at:

“Bank of America, 1501 Pennsylvania

Ave. NW, Washington

D.C. 20005.”

Co-locating the charity fund with the monument in Washington D.C. was best for

future management.

FUNDRAISING: The war dogs need your help to raise the money required to build

their national monument. So, please pitch in with a fundraising event like a walk for the

dogs, motorcycle ride for the war dogs, breakfast, lunch, dinner or tea party for the dogs,

bake sales, yard or garage sales, raffles, auctions, dog wash or car wash, bingo or

whatever creative idea you may have. And it’s all tax deductible. So if you wish to

organize a fundraiser, contact any committee member at:

http://www.nationalwardogsmonument.org

Our secret of success is consistency of purpose, not how long it will take for U.S. Military

Working Dogs of all wars. As a free nation we owe them this national tribute, mandated

by Congress and erected in our nation’s capital of Washington D.C. for the entire world to

know and see that they are not America’s forgotten heroes.

Let’s make 2006 the “Year of the Military Working Dog.”

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